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2026
Passage: When SARS-CoV-2 was first detected in 2019, it was a truly novel virus for the world. At that time, no one in the world had been exposed to SARS-CoV-2 or had specific immunity against it. In contrast, people across the world have been exposed to HMPV for decades and the virus is well-studied. HMPV and SARS-CoV-2 belong to two very different virus families with fundamentally different characteristics and epidemiology, with strong seasonality seen in HMPV, unlike SARS-CoV-2. Both viruses cause different severity of symptoms, particularly over the long term, and the affected population segments do not fully overlap. In general, HMPV causes milder illness with deaths being very rare and with no long-term post-viral symptoms. Which of the following statements reflect the logical and rational inferences that can be drawn from the passage?
- HMPV has, historically, had longer documentation of studies when compared with SARS-CoV-2.
- The two viruses are different from each other and this results in markedly different outcomes amongst those affected.
- Long-term impacts of the two viruses are dissimilar and this is an important differentiator between them.
- One of the common factors between the two viruses is seasonal specificity.
Select the answer using the code given below.
Explanation
The correct option is 1, 2 and 3 because the passage states that HMPV is well-studied and has a history of exposure, indicating more documentation compared to SARS-CoV-2 (1). It emphasizes the differences in virus families, symptom severity, and affected populations, leading to different outcomes (2), and highlights the differing long-term impacts, noting the absence of post-viral symptoms for HMPV (3). The statement about seasonal specificity is incorrect, as it notes strong seasonality in HMPV but does not imply a commonality with SARS-CoV-2.
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