A total of 63 “super flu” cases have been logged across the country from Jan. 1 to Dec. 27, all of whom have since recovered, the Department of Health (DOH) said.

“So mayroon na tayong datos ngayon all the way until December, 63 po ‘yung naibilang natin. Lahat po sila ay buhay, lahat sila ay gumaling natin (So we now have data up to December, and we counted 63 cases. All of them are alive, and all of them have recovered),” DOH spokesperson Assistant Secretary Albert Domingo said during a radio interview on Sunday, Jan. 11.

He added that the health department is awaiting updated information on whether there are currently active cases.

“At sa ngayon po, hinihintay lang natin ‘yung update kung may active (For now, we are just waiting for updates on whether there are active cases),” Domingo said.

Domingo underscored that no deaths have been linked to the so-called “super flu.”

“Wala ho tayong nakikita na parang doon sa mga influenza-like illness na super flu ang dahilan tapos namatay (We have not seen any influenza-like illness cases where super flu was the cause and resulted in death),” he said.

Citing the World Health Organization’s December 2025 risk assessment, Domingo said current epidemiological findings show no evidence of heightened disease severity linked to subclade K infections.

“Vaccination is still expected to protect against severe illness and prevent hospitalization,” he added.

The DOH official clarified that the virus is not new and should not cause undue public alarm.

“Iyang ‘super flu’ kasi, sa totoo lang, hindi naman po siya bago. Siya po ay isang variant ng tinatawag na Influenza A— iyong Influenza A trangkaso po ‘yan sa madaling salita, matagal na pong umiikot ‘yan (This so-called super flu, in truth, is not new. It is a variant of what we call Influenza A—simply put, it is Influenza A flu that has been circulating for a long time),” he said.

Domingo explained that influenza viruses naturally evolve over time and do not always lead to severe illness.

“Iyon kasing pamilya ng virus na ‘yun talagang kasa taon, nagbabago sila ng anyo, maski noon pa ho. At hindi laging nagiging dahilan ito ng malalang problema (That family of viruses really changes its form every year, even long ago. And it does not always cause serious problems),” he said.

“Kaya siya tinatawag na super flu kasi mahaba talaga ‘yung kanyang scientific name. Ako mismo, hindi ko mamemorya. Isa pang alyas niya ay Subclade K (It is called super flu because its scientific name is really long. Even I cannot memorize it. Another alias is Subclade K),” he added.

The DOH official stressed that symptoms of “super flu” are no different from those of ordinary influenza.

“Wala pong pinagkaiba ang sintomas niya sa pangkaraniwang trangkaso—ubo, sipon, lagnat, pananakit ng katawan (Its symptoms are no different from the common flu—cough, colds, fever, body aches),” Domingo said.

The DOH spokesperson noted that cases tend to coincide with seasonal weather changes, particularly during January in the Philippines.

“Ang mahalaga pong tandaan ay lalo na sa ganitong panahon Enero sa Pilipinas…kaya siya sumasabay dahil kapag nagbago ‘yung antas ng panahon, maaaring mairita ‘yung ating ilong at lalamunan; nagkakaroon tayo ng sipon, sore throat, hindi naman ho nangangahulugan na nagiging flu agad (What is important to remember, especially during this time—January in the Philippines—is that it coincides with weather changes. When the climate changes, our nose and throat may become irritated; we develop colds or sore throat, but that does not automatically mean it is flu),” he explained.

Meanwhile, Domingo said the use of face masks remains voluntary.

“Ang pagsuot ng face mask dapat talaga voluntary ‘yan, kumbaga kusa, karaniwan hindi naman na natin kailangang i-require, at ito ay isang magandang kilos na ipapakita na nag-aalaga tayo ng kapwa natin (Wearing a face mask should really be voluntary, something done willingly. Generally, we no longer need to require it, and it is a good gesture that shows we care for others),” he said.