MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

First case of flurona in Argentina spotted in Santa Fe

The child was hospitalized with a “status epilepticus with a history,” for which he was admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU), where more rigorous medical studies were carried out

Health officials in the Argentine province of Santa Fe Thursday confirmed the first case of flurona (inFLUenza + coRONAvirus) had been detected in the country in a 3-year-old boy hospitalized in the provincial capital.

The child, who was admitted to the intensive care unit at the Orlando Alassia Children's Hospital in Santa Fe due to epilepsy, was also diagnosed with flurona Hospital Director Osvaldo González Carrillo said.

He added it was “the first case detected” in that clinic. However, he pointed out it was “a finding” because not all patients undergo “the complete respiratory panel” of tests. The child was hospitalized with a “status epilepticus with a history,” for which he was admitted into the intensive care unit (ICU), where more rigorous medical studies were carried out.

The detection of flurona stemmed from those tests, since the child actually did not show any major respiratory symptoms and the COVID-19 picture “is mild,” according to the physician.

”All patients who enter therapy (ICU) undergo a study to determine the area of hospitalization,“ González Carrillo explained. Patients who are admitted to the hospital do so for various reasons other than COVID-19, but when they are swabbed they test positive for coronavirus.

“This patient was admitted with coronavirus and influenza, not for those reasons,” González Carrillo said in a radio interview. He added there were 21 children hospitalized with some form of coronavirus, of which 7 were between intensive care and neonatology, while 14 of them were less than 3 years old and have therefore not been vaccinated. Of the seven children over 3 years of age, half of them have received either one shot or none at all.

Globally, the first cases of flurona were detected in Israel. Regionally, Brazil was the first place to spot the portmanteau disease.

”We have an increase in patients with COVID. Until last week, the average was thirteen to fourteen children, but today the figure is around 21,” González Carrillo also pointed out.