“Flurona” is real, but don’t panic. It is common to be infected with two viruses at once.

number, Fururona Not a terrifying new variant of the coronavirus. And — do we really need to say this? — This is not a real scientific term.

However, the phenomenon of “coinfection” by influenza and coronavirus is a reality and is not a little surprising to the medical community. A person can be infected with multiple viruses at the same time — or can be infected with viruses and other types of pathogens such as bacteria and parasites.

“It’s a natural event,” says Isabella Cattradi, an associate professor of biology at Pennsylvania State University.

I’m not saying that’s a good idea.

Almost two years ago, a British researcher Identify some of the first cases of influenza and COVID-19, They calculated that these patients were twice as likely to die as patients with COVID alone.

These coinfections seem to be quite rare in previous pandemics. Especially when the incidence of influenza was unusually low last winter (experts tend to be due to all social distances). But with the flu rising again this winter, doctors say that’s why they work on wise precautions. Both viruses are transmitted in the air, so avoiding crowded and poorly ventilated areas and wearing a mask can reduce your risk.

And in both cases, there are effective vaccines.Like most years, this season’s flu shots Not exactly the same as the circulating strainBut that’s not the reason for not receiving injections, says Thomas Fekete, a professor at Temple University’s Katz School of Medicine. All layers of defense help individuals as well as those who may be more vulnerable.

“No matter what we do to reduce risk, we also protect the people around us,” he said.

He said at least four patients at Temple University Hospital were positive for both influenza and COVID. Officials at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital say they also saw some cases. Perhaps more people are infected with both viruses outside the hospital, according to Fekete, but most people with respiratory symptoms have not been tested for the flu and have not been identified.

” read more: Does Omicron protect from Delta?

It is common to be infected with multiple viruses, but the details of how the immune system reacts are complicated by factors such as timing and type of virus.

In the crash course, we spoke with Saracherry, a professor of pathology and medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine, and AJ te Velthuis, a virologist and assistant professor of molecular biology at Princeton University.

But first, a stupid factor.

It’s hard to say. The first one I used was a columnist at The Jerusalem Post. Over a year ago..

Apparently in response to the media headlines of such an incident in Israel, the term did not actually begin to spread until this month. The comedian joined immediately.

Al Jankovic tweeted that he would take a pass “My Fururona” Riffed the 1979 pop single “My Sharona”.Conan O’Brien Tweeted and coined his own terminology: “Furrona reminds me of the time when I was suffering from Help Medium.”

The doctor was also looking forward to it.

Director, Institute for Global Health, Yale University, Saad Omer, Told the New York Times: “It sounds like’Sharknado’, but it’s not a known medical term.”

Others have warned that hybrid nicknames will mislead people into thinking that some hybrid virus is in the midst of us.

Again, it’s not. What’s happening is simply a coinfection. Both influenza and coronavirus are pointed spheres of protein, but the types of viruses are different. They cannot bind to certain superviruses. Each contains a genetic command that allows it to make only its own copy, Cherry said.

Similarly, you can be infected with one virus. It’s exposure.

If a person is in a place where the virus circulates, that is, where others are, two or more viruses can cause infection at the same time.

Ideally, a person who feels sick can stay at home and reduce the risk of getting a second virus. However, the virus has an incubation period that allows it to multiply in the body for more than a day before it makes a person feel sick. So it’s easy for someone to pick up multiple bugs before they feel sick enough to get back to the bedroom, Cherry said.

In particular, COVID has a long presymptomatic period, up to 4 days, but the Omicron variant of the virus seems to develop earlier. If it is crowded, the double pain of the flu can definitely occur.

“If you’re doing things without a mask, you’re probably going to get both,” she said.

These respiratory viruses usually enter through the nasal passages. Often, they are safely trapped in the mucus, which is swallowed and dissolves harmlessly in the stomach. However, when they get caught in cells in the respiratory tract, the virus invades the cell membrane, hijacks its internal mechanisms, and begins copying itself. This is the definition of infection.

Influenza virus attaches to a substance on the cell surface called sialic acid. Coronavirus, on the other hand, latches on a “receptor” called ACE-2. They may have infected cells in the same part of the body, but neither is likely to completely congest the other, Cherry said. In general, there are many real estates around.

It depends on the timing. If the person is lucky, an immune response to the first invader may help protect against the second invader, Cherry said.

This is because the first line of defense of the immune system, called the innate immune response, is non-specific. This means that it is not tailored for a particular type of virus.

Infected cells respond by producing an antiviral protein called interferon, among other weapons, and interferon, which helps prevent one type of virus, generally helps prevent another type of virus.

That does not mean that it is a good idea to deliberately cause a second infection. The second virus may not add to your misery, but it certainly can’t make you feel good.

And in many situations, a second infection can make things worse, said Princeton scientist te Velthuis.

For example, it can occur when a virus infects different parts of the body. Influenza usually invades the upper respiratory tract, but some strains of coronavirus can replicate in the lower respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract, he said.

“Composite infections can provoke an immune response in several places and increase overall fatigue,” he said.

According to Cattadori of Pennsylvania State University, all kinds of variables are involved, whether they are vaccinated or not, such as their previous exposure to one of the two viruses and the number of viruses they ingest. increase.

If the second infection is bacterial, the effects of coinfection can be exacerbated. Both influenza and COVID cause temporary damage to the inner walls of the airways, impairing the patient’s ability to defeat the bacteria, said Fekete of the Temple.

“Bacteria are easy to invade,” he said.

In the elderly and those who smoke, the result can be pneumonia, he said.

Most people with influenza and COVID may not be aware that out-of-hospital testing for influenza is rare. And lately, as we all have heard, the COVID test is lacking.

However, the usual advice applies regardless of whether you are infected with one virus, the other virus, or both.

Keep away from other people. Drink a lot of water. Contact your doctor and seek emergency medical care if you experience difficulty breathing.

Treatment is available for both types of infections if your doctor recommends them.

Best of all, don’t panic, especially if you are vaccinated against one or both viruses. In your case, the vaccine may not have prevented the infection, but it is very likely to prevent serious illness.