It turns out that it is possible to have COVID-19 and the flu at the same time, and a name has even been coined for this phenomenon: flurona. This in itself is not surprising: people can be infected with several pathogens at the same time, a phenomenon known as co-infection. Almost everyone experiences such a ‘double illness’ at some point in their life. Is flurona something to be extra concerned about?
Co-infections
Co-infections with COVID-19 are nothing new: as early as February 2020, a man from New York was found to have both corona and the flu. And in April 2020, so a few months after the start of the pandemic, it published Journal of the American Medical Association a study in which researchers described co-infections of COVID-19 with the rhinovirus and enterovirus (the main causes of the common cold), the adenovirus (also a cause of colds and flu-like symptoms) and the RSV virus that can cause serious problems, especially in young children and seniors. can cause respiratory problems.
But in recent weeks, reports from Israel about two people co-infected with COVID-19 and influenza have caused quite a stir. The media wrongly fueled this by stating that it was a new medical phenomenon, while cases of co-infection had already been identified at the beginning of 2020. And with the launch of the term ‘flurona’, a new media hype seemed to be born.
Still, virologists and infectiologists argue that there is no reason for additional concern. Co-infections of COVID-19 and the flu are rare. A real-world data analysis from the US from October 2021 (i.e. before the omikron variant emerged) determined that 0.3% of a group of 1794 corona patients were also infected with the influenza virus.
unnoticed
There is a chance that ‘flurona’ will become more common as the current flu season progresses and more people may get the flu while the contagious omikron variant is around. In addition, there is the possibility that a co-infection of COVID-19 and the flu is not always detected, because the omikron variant is often accompanied by mild symptoms that are very similar to those of the flu. People who are tested for corona, and whose results are positive, will probably not also be tested for influenza. In practice, co-infection will most often be detected in COVID-19 patients who are hospitalized and subjected to further testing.
airways
It is not yet possible to say how serious ‘flurona’ is and whether there are long-term consequences. Too little research has been done on the co-infection of COVID-19 and influenza to answer that question. But because both diseases affect the respiratory system, medical experts believe that a combination of the two diseases at the same time could have serious consequences for some. It is already clear that people with a weakened immune system or with underlying conditions not only have a higher risk of a serious course of COVID-19, but also of co-infection.
Vaccination
Vaccination against both COVID-19 and influenza is seen as the best way to prevent ‘flurona’. Coming back to the recent cases of ‘flurona’ in Israel, both cases involved people who had not been vaccinated against either the flu or COVID-19. In addition, the exact same measures that keep corona in check (keeping your distance, wearing masks, washing hands, working from home, lockdowns, etc.) have ensured that the annual flu figures have been historically low for two years now.
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