Old video falsely shared as 'situation in China' amid recent HMPV outbreak
The Verdict (Misleading)
The video, online since at least 2022, predates the recent rise in HMPV cases in China and is unrelated to the current outbreak.
What is the claim?
A video showing individuals in white personal protective equipment (PPE) dragging people has been shared online, claiming to show the situation in China amid an outbreak of respiratory disease caused by human metapneumovirus (HMPV). The claim has circulated alongside reports of rising HMPV cases in China.
An X user shared the video, writing, “Pandemic 2.0 is coming Curiously, just with Trump's presidency, China has just declared a state of health emergency. The authorities are not giving information about the virus or variants (translated from Spanish)." Archived links to similar posts can be found here and here.
HMPV is a virus from the Pneumoviridae family that affects the lungs and causes respiratory illness similar to the common cold. First identified in the Netherlands in 2001, the virus can cause symptoms such as coughing, fever, nasal congestion, and wheezing. [Learn more about the virus and the outbreak in China here.]
Screenshot of the viral video shared online. (Source: X/Facebook/Modified by Logically Facts)
However, we found that the video currently circulating is at least two years old and predates the HMPV outbreak.
Here are the facts
A reverse image search revealed the same video was posted by X user @fangshimin on October 29, 2022 (archived here). The caption stated, “China's 'Crystal Night': large numbers of White Guards went out in the middle of the night and dragged people to concentration camps (translated from Chinese)."
The video was also uploaded to a YouTube channel called ‘China in Real Life’ on May 22, 2022 (archived here). It was captioned, “China Guangdong Medical Staff Drag Citizens to Quarantine Camp at Midnight.” This indicates the video has been online since at least 2022 and cannot depict a recent HMPV outbreak in China.
A November 2022 Yahoo News report referenced the video, noting that X user Songpinganq shared it on October 22, 2022. The report did not confirm the exact location or date of the footage.
Comparison of the viral video and the visuals published by Yahoo News in 2022. (Source: X/Yahoo News)
While Logically Facts could not independently verify the precise date and location of the video, available evidence shows it is not recent.
The verdict
A video that has been online since at least 2022 has been misattributed to the current HMPV outbreak in China.
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Real Madrid fines Valverde and Tchouaméni half a million euros each for altercation
Barcelona (AP): Real Madrid slapped players Federico Valverde and Aurélien Tchouaméni with half-a-million-euro ($588,000) fines on Friday for their altercation during practice.
The massive fines came a day after the midfielders tussled when the team trained. Valverde said in a post on social media on Thursday that no punches were thrown. But Valverde knocked his head on a table and he suffered a small cut that required a brief hospital visit.
On social media, Valverde initially called it a “meaningless fight” with a teammate and said “everything has been blown out of proportion."
His employers, however, considered it a significant enough breach of team discipline to nail both Valverde and Tchouaméni with fines that bite even the bank account of a top soccer player. The half-a-million euro penalties reflect the reputational damage the club was enduring in a chaotic end to a disappointing season.
In a statement, the 15-time European champion said its disciplinary action was concluded after both players expressed to the club “their complete remorse for what happened and apologized to one another.”
Madrid added they also apologized to their teammates, the coaching staff and club supporters, as well as showing their willingness to accept whatever disciplinary action the club deemed “opportune.”
Tchouaméni was back training with Madrid on Friday, two days before they play at Barcelona in a clasico. Madrid has to win otherwise Barcelona will be crowned La Liga champion.
After being notified of the fine, he posted a public apology to the club and its fans on social media.
“What happened this week in training is unacceptable,” Tchouaméni wrote. "I say this while thinking about the example we are expected to set for young people, whether in football or at school.
“Above all, I am sorry for the image we projected of the club.”
Valverde was not at practice due to the head knock.
Both players are set to play in the World Cup next month, with Tchouaméni playing for France and Valverde for Uruguay.
Chaotic end to a poor season
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The run-in between the players, who for seasons have played side by side in Madrid's midfield, came after they argued this week in previous training sessions. But tempers boiled over on Thursday. Spanish media was rife with reports that the players previously disagreed over the club's decision to let coach Xabi Alonso go after just months on the job.
It was not the only altercation involving Madrid players during training this week. Álvaro Carreras confirmed he was in a “minor” incident with a teammate. Spanish media said he and fellow defender Antonio Rüdiger got into a scuffle.
Álvaro Arbeloa, the coach who was promoted from Madrid's reserve team when Alonso was fired in January, will face tough questions on what went wrong inside the changing room when he gives a press conference on Saturday ahead of the clasico at Camp Nou.
Madrid is facing a second consecutive campaign without a major trophy amid rumors in the Spanish media that club president Florentino Pérez is considering bringing back Jose Mourinho to straighten out his underperforming team.
