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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Punjab CM Mann meets President Murmu, seeks cancellation of membership of 6 RS members
Chandigarh (PTI): Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Tuesday met President Droupadi Murmu, demanding the termination of the membership of six Rajya Sabha MPs from Punjab who defected to the BJP and also pressed for the introduction of a constitutional provision allowing for the recall of members.
Accompanied by party MLAs and ministers, Mann visited Rashtrapati Bhavan in Delhi.
This meeting followed a significant setback for the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on April 24, when seven of its 10 Rajya Sabha MPs -- Raghav Chadha, Ashok Mittal, Sandeep Pathak, Harbhajan Singh, Rajendra Gupta, Vikramjit Sahney and Swati Maliwal -- quit and merged with the BJP, alleging that the party had strayed from its principles, values and core morals. Six of the seven MPs who left AAP hailed from Punjab.
After he met with the President, Mann addressed the media here, describing the departure of the seven MPs as a "murder" of the Constitution. He stated, "Seven MPs merging with another party is completely unconstitutional. I spoke to Rashtrapati ji in detail."
Mann pointed out that he told the President that the BJP holds only two MLA seats (in Punjab), yet now has six MPs in the Rajya Sabha. He questioned, "How can this be possible? Isn't it a mockery of the Constitution?
"If they are such revolutionaries at heart, then they should have resigned from their six seats. The AAP could have sent someone else," Mann said, taking a swipe at them.
He emphasised the need for a recall provision in the Constitution, referencing MP Raghav Chadha's previous demands for such a measure when members fail to meet public expectations.
"Have you lived up to the expectations of the people?" Mann challenged the MPs during his statement.
Mann also presented a letter to the President, signed by all AAP MLAs. He differentiated between the terms 'elected' and 'selected,' stating, "They were 'selected.' Therefore, their membership should be cancelled."
The President assured Mann that she would consult constitutional experts before responding.
Earlier in the day, Mann, along with party MLAs, departed for Delhi from Chandigarh.
Speaking to reporters in Chandigarh, Mann affirmed that all AAP MLAs stand united with the party. "Only I have been given time for the meeting," Mann said.
"The President is the guardian of the Constitution. She is the constitutional head of the country," he added.
Later in a post on X in Hindi, Mann said, "Our struggle to protect Punjab's rights and interests continues. Today, along with all AAP MLAs, I have left to discuss Punjab's burning issues and present the state's strong voice before the President.
As your public servant, our government remains fully committed to Punjab's prosperity and the safeguarding of the rights of every section of society."
The MLAs and ministers gathered at the chief minister's residence in the morning before heading to Delhi, carrying placards that read 'Punjab Mann De Naal' and 'Punjab's Traitors.'
The legislators left for Delhi in buses.
Mann had previously sought an appointment with the President to meet with party MLAs and demand the "recall" of the Rajya Sabha MPs who defected to the BJP. However, only Mann was given a time slot for the meeting.
