News Center

VCU Massey Cancer Center’s Facts & Faith Fridays this month covered statistics and public health messaging regarding an unusual uptick in viral infections in 2023, as well as the health benefits and restorative power of effective rest.

Elaine Perry, M.D., health director of the Virginia Department of Health, joined to discuss the human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a virus that can cause both upper and lower respiratory infections and caused a significant spike in infections in early 2023.

In March, nearly 11% of samples tested for the virus were positive, roughly 36% higher than the standard annual peak, according to new data released by the CDC. It is especially common among young children, older adults and people with weakened immune systems, and the virus is in the same family as the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

Perry theorized that a relaxation in COVID-19 social distancing requirements over the winter season may be associated with the increase in HMPV infections this year. Similar to the public health messaging that was championed during the pandemic, Perry reiterated the prevention strategies of washing your hands; avoiding touching your eyes, nose or mouth with unwashed hands; avoiding close contact with people who are sick; as well as one other major prevention tactic.

“Stay at home when you are sick,” Perry emphasized. “If the pandemic taught us anything, it’s that we should not…try to be tough. If we’re sick, if we’re spreading viruses, we should try to keep those viruses to ourselves at home the best we can.”

There is no vaccine currently for the human metapneumovirus, but there are clinical trials underway, Perry said.

Jessica Young Brown, Ph.D., a licensed clinical psychologist and new resident therapist for Facts & Faith Fridays, also joined the call to stress the importance of rest in maintaining or improving mental health and overall wellbeing.

“We live in a society that encourages us to do everything but rest,” Brown said. “We want to figure out how to get the most out of the time we get to rest.”

Rest is an essential tool that supports the overall health of your body, improves emotional wellness and allows the nervous system to take a break.

Brown offered practical tips for how to effectively use rest as a restorative process, including breathing techniques, scheduling time during the day to do nothing and avoid stressors, stretching exercises, and getting sufficient sleep, among others.

“It’s important to think of rest as part of the natural rhythm of what we do,” Brown said.

Watch the webinar to learn more about human metapneumovirus and the health benefits of restorative rest.

Massey director Robert A. Winn, M.D., took a moment during the call to recognize the cancer center’s landmark comprehensive designation by the National Cancer Institute on June 1, a distinction that places Massey among the top 4% of centers in the country.

“This cancer center did not get that designation because of one of us, but because of the work of all of us,” Winn said. “And it should benefit all of us.”

To see the upcoming schedule and register for future Facts & Faith Fridays webinars, visit our website.

Written by: Blake Belden