Portland, OR — A new, hard to detect virus is spreading around Portland and local medical providers at American Family Care (AFC), the nation’s largest provider of accessible primary care, urgent care and occupational medicine, are urging everyone to take note and be aware of a test that can identify the illness safely and quickly.
“The current allergy season is the worst it’s been in years, so we are seeing a lot of visits for congestion, sore throat, and cough,” explains Dr. Andrew Miller, Chief Medical Officer of AFC Portland locations. “These symptoms can all be attributed to a spike in seasonal allergies, but these complaints also overlap with a lot of viral or bacterial illness symptoms.”
Dr. Miller says a lesser-known virus called Human Metapneumovirus (HMPV) is making the rounds right now. HMPV can be difficult to detect and it can cause respiratory disease in people of all ages. AFC offers a Respiratory Pathogen Panel (RPP) that uses advanced techniques to detect and identify HMPV as well as influenza, RSV, COVID-19, common cold viruses, and bacterial causes of pneumonia.
“No other urgent care in Portland has this testing capability and it is a game changer for our understanding of the current illness season,” Dr. Miller said. “In May, our clinics detected twice as many more HMPV cases than COVID.”
For many people HMPV is just a bad cold, but like RSV and other viral illnesses, it can be dangerous to young children, older seniors, and anyone with a compromised immune system.
People who are feeling sick and need a thorough PCR test that looks for viruses besides just COVID can call 503-305-6262 or visit our website by visiting www.AFCUrgentCarePortland.com and scheduling a same-day visit.
About American Family Care:
Founded by Dr. Bruce Irwin with a single location in 1982, American Family Care has pioneered the concept of convenient, patient-centric healthcare. Today, with more than 300 clinics and 1500 in-network physicians caring for over 6 million patients a year, AFC is the nation’s leading provider of urgent care, accessible primary care, and occupational medicine. Ranked by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest-growing companies in the United States, AFC’s stated mission is to provide the best healthcare possible, in a kind and caring environment while respecting the rights of all patients, in an economical manner, at times and locations convenient to the patient. For more information, visit AFCUrgentCare.com.
