By signing in you confirm you are 18 or older, or have your parent’s or guardian’s consent.

UPSC Prelims 2026 CSAT, question 28

Topic: Reading comprehension

Directions · Q26 to Q28

Directions for the next 3 (three) items :
Read the following passage and answer the items that follow. Your answers should be based solely on the passage.

Passage · Q26 to Q28

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.

Q28

Which of the following statements reflect the logical and rational inferences that can be drawn from the passage?

  1. HMPV has, historically, had longer documentation of studies when compared with SARS-CoV-2.

  2. The two viruses are different from each other and this results in markedly different outcomes amongst those affected.

  3. Long-term impacts of the two viruses are dissimilar and this is an important differentiator between them.

  4. One of the common factors between the two viruses is seasonal specificity.

Select the answer using the code given below.

  1. (a) 1 and 2 only
  2. (b) 1, 2 and 3Correct answer
  3. (c) 3 and 4
  4. (d) 1 and 3 only

Solution.

Answer: (b) 1, 2 and 3

  1. Statement 1 is correct: the passage notes that people have been exposed to HMPV for decades and it is well-studied, unlike SARS-CoV-2 which was first detected in 2019.
  2. Statements 2 and 3 are correct: the passage states that the two viruses belong to very different families and cause different severity of symptoms, particularly over the long term (with HMPV causing milder illness and no long-term post-viral symptoms).
  3. Statement 4 is incorrect: strong seasonality is seen in HMPV unlike SARS-CoV-2, so seasonal specificity is a difference, not a common factor.