PALANGKA RAYA – The Central Kalimantan (Kalteng) Provincial Health Service urges the public to increase awareness of the spread of respiratory diseases by implementing the habit of diligently washing hands and using masks, following the outbreak of the Super Flu issue in a number of countries.
Head of the Central Kalimantan Provincial Health Service, Suyuti Syamsul, emphasized that to date no cases of Super Flu have been found in the Central Kalimantan region.
“Not yet,” said Suyuti to the media, Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Super Flu is known to refer to a new variant of influenza A (H3N2) known as subclade K, which has recently become the world’s spotlight because it has triggered an increase in cases in a number of countries and has been detected in Indonesia.
However, Suyuti emphasized that people should not panic, but remain disciplined in implementing simple preventive measures to reduce the risk of transmission.
“We only urge people to diligently wash their hands using soap and running water. For those with coughs and colds to wear masks,” he explained.
He explained that in terms of physical symptoms, Super Flu does not show any striking differences compared to ordinary flu, so it is difficult to recognize without further examination.
“Physically there is no difference with the common flu. The only difference is the speed of transmission. To find out, you need a genomic examination,” concluded Suyuti.
This condition makes some people wonder about the length of recovery time after contracting Super Flu, and whether the duration is longer than influenza in general.
Quoted from SELF, influenza can cause symptoms such as fever, cough and sore throat. Although acute symptoms generally subside within a few days, some sufferers still experience prolonged fatigue and the body feels like it has not fully recovered.
“Once influenza strikes, its effects can last longer than the acute illness phase,” said William Schaffner, a professor at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.
According to Schaffner, currently circulating influenza strains, including subclade K of the H3N2 family, tend to cause more severe disease and are better able to evade immunity from previous flu vaccines and past flu infections.
“The dominant strain currently belongs to the H3N2 family, which tends to cause more severe disease,” he said.
Meanwhile, Amesh A. Adalja, senior researcher at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, explained that the length of recovery really depends on each individual’s immune response and accompanying health conditions.
“Acute symptoms such as fever usually subside within a few days, but fatigue and malaise can last up to a week or more,” he explained.
He said that the body’s inflammatory response to the virus can trigger a dry cough, sore throat and a feeling of weakness that lasts for a long time, even though the main infection begins to subside.
Other factors that can slow recovery include dehydration and lack of physical activity during the illness. In fact, some sufferers are reported to experience conditions that resemble long influenza syndrome, similar to long COVID but caused by flu.
Although the effectiveness of this year’s flu vaccine is said to not completely prevent infection, experts assess that vaccination still plays an important role in reducing the severity of the disease and speeding up recovery.
“If antivirals are given early, the severity of the disease can be reduced,” Schaffner said.
Apart from treatment, people are also advised to maintain adequate body fluids, get enough rest, and do light activities when their condition begins to improve. Awareness of flu complications, such as pneumonia, also needs to be increased.
“If someone has a fever that doesn’t go away, shortness of breath, or extreme fatigue that interferes with daily activities, see medical personnel immediately,” said Adalja.
Schaffner added, if the condition does not improve after more than one week since the acute phase of illness, or actually gets worse, the sufferer is advised to immediately consult a doctor.
(Sya’ban)