What is ‘Flurona’?

AS if various strains of the coronavirus weren’t enough, the first case of the flurona has been reported in Israel.

According to local sources in Israel, the patient was a young pregnant woman who was already in the hospital, despite her symptoms being moderate.

2

What is ‘flurona’?

Since the beginning of the epidemic, public health officials have cautioned about the risk of contracting both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time. This instance is referred to as flurona. 

Doctors are warning that flurona can emerge following a light flu season last year, and Israel has experienced its first documented case, which may be the first in the world.

This winter, specialists in the US warned of the possibility of a “twindemic,” urging Americans to obtain a flu vaccination and to be vaccinated or fortified against COVID-19.

Before the outbreak of the Delta and Omicron variants in 2020, flu was at its lowest point in decades, with only one juvenile flu fatality reported during the season.

How was flurona discovered in the patient?

Aaron Vizhnitser, the director of gynecology at the Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva City, Israel said that the woman was tested for the coronavirus and the flu upon arrival.

“She was diagnosed with the flu and coronavirus as soon as she arrived,” he said. “Both tests came back positive, even after we checked again.”

“The disease is the same disease: they’re viral and cause difficulty breathing since both attack the upper respiratory tract,” Prof Vizhnitser added. 

The Israeli health ministry said it was investigating the case to see if the two illnesses together may result in more serious sickness, according to Independent. 

Doctors believe there are more cases in the nation, despite the fact that she is the first documented case of a patient being diagnosed with both illnesses at the same time.

2

What are the flu infection rates?

Vaccination rates were almost the same as the previous year, with preliminary estimates showing that 50- 55% of individuals received the flu vaccine. 

Children’s influenza vaccine coverage fell 4.1 percentage points to 58.2 percent.

This year is different, with 1,825 persons brought to hospitals with influenza, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Flu infection is “very high” in Georgia, North Dakota, and New Jersey, according to a CDC map.

The CDC reported that 172.5 million doses of flu vaccination had been delivered as of Dec. 24. 

Early indications suggest that fewer individuals are obtaining flu vaccines this year than last.