‘Flurona’ scare? Co-infections not unusual, says health expert

MANILA, Philippines —  Co-infections—or two or multiple infections hitting one person—is not unusual, Dr. Edsel Salvana, member of the Department of Health-Technical Advisory Group, said Monday.

Salvana made the remark after Israel recorded its first case of co-infection of COVID-19 and influenza, which has been dubbed as “flurona.”

However, the health expert said that co-infections are “not unusual”, adding that these are just “an unfortunate confluence of events.”

“This is actually not unusual. Our very first COVID death in the Philippines back in January 2020, a Chinese national, had both Influenza B and coronavirus and he also had streptococcus pneumonia,” Salvana said in a press briefing.

“So it doesn’t mean it’s a major breakdown, it’s an unfortunate confluence of events na na-expose ka sa dalawang pathogens and of course may kinalaman doon (when a person was exposed to two pathogens and of course there is a relationship with that) if you have comorbid conditions. But it’s not unusual to see co-infections in these cases,” he added.

Nonetheless, Salvana advised the public to get their influenza shots, COVID-19 vaccines, and pneumonia vaccines, saying there is a higher chance of death if all three infections hit a person at the same time.

In the same briefing, the Department of Health reported that the Philippines is once again classified as “high risk” for COVID-19 amid the recent increase in cases in the country

READ: Metro Manila now at high risk for COVID-19 transmission – OCTA Research

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