Simultaneous infection with seasonal flu and coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 is dangerous for both the patients themselves and others, Russian scientists warned. Izvestia found out exactly what the danger is.
“Influenza mainly affects the upper respiratory tract, and COVID-19 – the lower. This is a completely different type of virus with a different evolution and biology, ”said Oleg Batishchev, assistant professor of biophysics at the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, deputy director for research.
According to him, with weakened immunity, the risk of infection with the second virus that enters the body will be more difficult.
At the same time, if a person gets the flu earlier than coronavirus, diagnostic systems may not detect SARS-CoV-2. Such a case has already been described by Chinese scientists in a 69-year-old patient with high fever and dry cough.
Pavel Volchkov, head of the MIPT genomic engineering laboratory, also confirmed that double infection can lead to testing errors. According to him, if the flu is in the active phase, and the patient has just acquired the coronavirus, then the concentration of the latter in the body is very low and diagnostic systems may not detect it.
Also, experts talked about the difference between the percentage of deaths from influenza and coronavirus. The mortality rate in case of infection with coronavirus is higher, however, seasonal flu affects many more people and also takes many lives.
Read more in the article “Izvestia” on April 2.
READ ALSO
—
