MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Flurona cases detected in Peru; one patient dies

The 87-year-old unvaccinated man with comorbidities did not survive

Peruvian Health authorities have reported the detection of three infections and also one death of flurona, the new portmanteau disease resulting from the overlapping of COVID-19 with influenza.

The three cases were one child, one adult and an elderly man with comorbidities, according to Public Health Surveillance Director César Munayco, who also explained all three detections occured in Amazonia, in the town of Bagua.

“Three cases were detected in Amazonia, in Bagua,“ Munayco said. ”Of the three infected people, two have had outpatient management and have not represented any problem,“ he added.

The child and a 40-year-old fully vaccinated adult did not suffer any problem with this co-infection. But the unvaccinated 87-year-old man did not survive. He ”was an 87-year-old man with comorbidities and who was not vaccinated (against COVID and influenza); this person passed away,“ Munayco stressed.

”It is important to take this into account because we currently have a major outbreak of influenza H3N2 in the country's jungle such as Loreto, San Martín, Amazonas, Ucayali,” he further explained.

Munayco also said the flurona patients had a cough, a sore throat and general malaise. “It is important to get vaccinated, vaccines reduce the risk of dying. We recommend the population to get vaccinated against COVID-19 and influenza,” he added.

Technically, flurona is not a new disease made out of two, but two maladies happening simultaneously.

After the third wave of COVID-19 was confirmed in Peru, the Government has established new restrictions to mitigate the increase in cases, hospitalizations and deaths.