MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH), confirmed that there are 4 cases of walking pneumonia or Mycoplasma pneumoniae in the country.
“As of November 25, 2023, there are a total of four confirmed cases of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection among reported Influenza-like Illness (ILI) cases. These cases have been reported in the previous morbidity weeks 3, 30, 37, and 38, with one case each,” the DOH said at a briefing.
The agency highlighted that Mycoplasma pneumoniae is not a new pathogen and has been previously detected in local cases.
“This is not a notifiable disease globally. The DOH can scan but we depend on what the media or the World Health Organization will report. So far, the only country that has recorded incidents of Mycoplasma pneumonia is China,” DOH added.
The rise in cases of ILI nationwide, DOH said, has already slowed down with a total of 9,834 recorded from Oct. 29 to Nov. 11. The figure is 11 percent lower than the ILI cases two weeks prior.
“Based on the five-year data, ILI cases are expected to continue declining in the coming weeks but are expected to rise again by the start of January,” DOH disclosed
The DOH is encouraging the public to prevent respiratory infections from spreading by practicing minimum health standards including washing of hands, social distancing, wearing of masks especially among the vulnerable and those who have cough and colds, and getting vaccinated.
Meanwhile, President Marcos is “doing well” after contracting COVID-19 for the third time, according to Presidential Communications Office Secretary Cheloy Garafil.
Marcos, 66, tested positive for the disease on Monday night. He was advised by his doctors to undergo a mandatory five-day isolation.
Marcos tested positive for COVID-19 in July 2022 and in March 2020. He received his second COVID-19 booster dose in August 2022.
According to the DOH, the Philippines logged a total of 1,340 new coronavirus cases from Nov. 28 to Dec. 4, the highest number of fresh infections in 19 weeks.
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