It\u2019s been dubbed flurona: when a person is infected with the influenza virus and the Covid-19 coronavirus, either simultaneously or back-to-back.<\/p>\n
Cases are being reported around the globe, and experts say they are likely to grow as the more contagious\u00a0omicron variant\u00a0becomes more prevalent. The phenomenon, however, isn\u2019t exactly new.\u00a0Reports\u00a0of such \u201cco-infections\u201d go back to early 2020.<\/p>\n
1. Why is this getting attention now?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n At a time when the world is bracing for every new twist in the pandemic, it\u2019s understandable that the prospect of getting Covid and the flu at the same time is causing some people anxiety.<\/p>\n And it\u2019s no surprise that examples of this are emerging, given omicron\u2019s remarkable spread and the fact that, with societies a lot more open than a year ago, the flu is staging a comeback after practically disappearing amid last year\u2019s lockdowns and heightened focus on hygiene.<\/p>\n 2. Should I be worried?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n Not overly. If you do get Covid, you\u2019re certainly better off if you don\u2019t also get the flu, since a simultaneous infection would further tax your immune system, said David Edwards, an\u00a0aerosol scientist\u00a0and bioengineering professor at\u00a0Harvard University.<\/p>\n But the odds of that happening aren\u2019t great. The likelihood of catching either virus on any given day is already very low for most people.<\/p>\n \u201cThe probability of both of those things happening at the same time is sort of like the probability of getting robbed by two people on the same day,\u201d Edwards said. \u201cIt happens, but it\u2019s not like people should think, \u2018Oh, there\u2019s gonna be this flurona that\u2019s going to overtake omicron.\u2019 That\u2019s not going to happen.\u201d<\/p>\n 3. What\u2019s the effect of getting two infections at once?<\/strong><\/p>\n In a meta-analysis of various studies last May, researchers from the University of Wisconsin found that 19% of people who tested positive for Covid simultaneously tested positive for another pathogen (a so-called \u201cco-infection\u201d) – be it viral, bacterial or fungal.<\/p>\n They found that 24% of patients diagnosed with Covid afterward tested positive for a different pathogen (a so-called \u201csuperinfection\u201d).<\/p>\n For both categories, the situation was associated with \u201cpoor outcomes, including increased mortality,\u201d the authors found. The research underscores the need to test for ailments beyond just Covid so that people can be properly treated, the authors said.<\/p>\n 4. Is the flu back in full force?<\/strong><\/p>\n In many countries, last year\u2019s flu season was the least harmful in more than a decade. In the U.S., for example, hospitalizations from the flu were the lowest on record since data started being collected in 2005,\u00a0according\u00a0to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.<\/p>\n So far this winter, respiratory illnesses with flu-like symptoms are tracking at levels much more comparable to pre-pandemic years, the CDC\u00a0said.\u00a0That\u2019s probably a function of there being less social distancing and attention to hygiene, but also because people\u2019s immune systems are less equipped to fight off influenza after being less exposed to it last year, Edwards said.<\/p>\n 5. Where is flurona being reported?<\/strong><\/p>\n Israel confirmed one of the highest-profile cases in late December when a pregnant woman – who hadn\u2019t received Covid vaccines – tested positive for both Covid and flu at a hospital, according to reports.<\/p>\n She reportedly experienced mild symptoms and has been released. Omicron has caused a surge in new coronavirus cases in Israel, which is also seeing a rise in influenza this winter after being largely spared the pathogen a year ago. Cases of the double infections have also been reported in Spain – and, as early as February 2020, in the US. Three states in Brazil have reported instances.<\/p>\n
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