Did COVID-19 and influenza occur at the same time? What you need to know about “Furrona”

The incidence of COVID-19 remains high nationwide, but influenza populations are also beginning to emerge.And with Both illnesses spread, The possibility of a co-infection involving both, called “Flurona”, is also increasing.

In fact, the woman was released from an Israeli hospital just this week after being infected with both COVID-19 and the flu. She had mild symptoms but was pregnant and unvaccinated. Times of Israel..And coinfections like these have already been reported in the United States. Spring 2020..

Thankfully, the risk of developing such an infection is rare. But the possibility is a reason to protect yourself from both viruses.

“COVID rates have never been worse in most of our regions and countries,” said Dr. Costi Sifri, director of hospital epidemiology at UVA Health today.

Eiri Klein, an associate professor of emergency medicine at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, said today that this was greatly facilitated by the emergence of the Omicron variant in addition to the already prevalent Delta COVID-19 cases.

“Adding the possibility of influenza to the mix only exacerbates an already very difficult situation in health care, especially for us in general,” Sifri said.

The last flu season was mild, but in some states Influenza increase rate Currently, this is not the case for others, but this is unusual in other ways, Klein explained. “Usually this is actually the peak when influenza rates are starting to rise in many countries,” he said, with behavioral changes in response to increasing cases of COVID-19-wearing masks again and crowding. Avoid-the epidemic of influenza in some areas that said it may help prevent.

by Centers for Disease Control and PreventionIn certain parts of the country, more infections are seen than in other parts. According to the latest CDC data available, states such as New Jersey, Georgia, and North Dakota have very high levels of influenza-like illness as of the week leading up to December 25. Mass outbreaks are also currently seen in Virginia, New York, South Carolina, and Florida.

According to the CDC, hospitalizations for influenza are also increasing.

“”notTwindemic“When both COVID-19 and influenza cases peak at the same time, Klein expects the current wave of Omicron fuel to subside and the flu cases to continue to peak in the weeks that follow.

Yes, experts say it can be infected with both viruses at the same time.

But to be clear, that doesn’t mean that the virus somehow binds in your body into one superinfection. A “Flurona” infection is simply having both individual viruses at the same time.

So far, Klein explained that such coinfections are rare. And experts still don’t know enough to say whether having both infections at the same time does not necessarily mean that you have more serious symptoms.

“The problem is that it’s actually somewhat difficult to determine if it’s a true coinfection,” Klein said.

For one thing, some people test positive for COVID-19 long after they are actually infected, sometimes for weeks or months. Therefore, people who test positive for COVID-19 and the flu may actually have already recovered from COVID-19 and may have the flu, Sifri said. “It’s something we might have a hard time seeing and organizing.”

This scenario is most likely to occur when the PCR sample is tested in a hospital where it is regularly tested for multiple viral diseases at once. Outside the hospital, according to Klein, these types of panels tend to be more expensive and are rare.

In other medical environments, that type of test may not be capable and therefore coinfection can be difficult to detect.I do Rapid antigen testFor example, you need to test one virus at a time. Therefore, if you have flu-like symptoms and a positive COVID-19 test, your doctor may not necessarily decide to do something else on top of it.

In many cases, it is up to the care provider to decide which infection to test. They take into account information about your particular combination of symptoms and the diseases that are prevalent in your area. And if they know that you’re in some of the countries that have a flu and COVID-19 surge, “doctors may decide to test both,” Sifri said.

Co-infection with influenza and COVID-19 is not always serious for otherwise healthy people.

Talk to and follow your healthcare provider General home care advice for both illnessesSaid Shifuri. This includes hydration, getting enough rest, and managing fever and body pain with over-the-counter painkillers. Providers may prescribe influenza antivirals or monoclonal antibodies to COVID-19 if there are underlying factors that increase the risk of serious symptoms of COVID-19 or influenza.

Also, be sure to follow public health guidelines to keep the people around you isolated and safe. And, of course, if you have severe symptoms such as dyspnea or high fever and do not respond to the drug, you should see a doctor.