Flurona Raises New Concerns on Double Infection of Influenza Virus and Coronavirus: Here's What Science Knows So Far

The health precautions set in place during the COVID-19 pandemic kept the infection at bay and took a few extra illnesses down. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that influenza cases have plummeted from 2020 to 2021 in the US despite high levels of testing.

But last week, an unvaccinated woman in Israel was tested positive for a combined infection of influenza virus and coronavirus in a condition they called "flurona." Experts are currently investigating this new case to gain more insights and know whether more people have already been infected with this merged disease.

(Photo: JALAA MAREY/AFP via Getty Images)
Israeli medical personnel tends to Covid-19 patients at a coronavirus isolation ward at the Ziv Medical Centre in Safed in northern Israel on February 2, 2021.

First Flurona Case in Israel

Israel just approved a fourth dose of COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable groups of their population, such as those 60 years old and above and healthcare workers. According to Firstpost, this decision came out after a case of flurona was detected last week.

The unvaccinated woman went into labor at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel. She was tested for both flu virus and coronavirus as soon as she arrived. The hospital's gynecology department head, OB-GYN specialist Professor Arnon Vizhnitser, said that both tests returned positive on COVID-19 and flu infection.

Health authorities told major online news site Y Net that this case is not something new but has gone undetected. The first case was reported in March 2020, during the early months of the pandemic. The patient displayed mild symptoms and was allowed to go home.

However, Dr. Nahla Abdel Wahab from Cairo University Hospital warns that the combined infection of influenza virus and coronavirus could indicate a major disease outbreak, possibly a "twindemic," that will weaken immune responses if the two viruses infect the human body at the same time.

According to ABC News, the term "twindemic" has been used in the past to refer to the high cases of COVID-19 and influenza infections as hospitals become overwhelmed by patients infected with those viruses. Nadav Davidovitch, a member of the Israeli National Advisory Committee on COVID-19, said that such high cases could lead to new flurona cases.

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What are the Symptoms of Flurona?

At this time, IFL Science reported that little is known about how severe could flurona be. But given the rise of influenza cases, experts expect to see more cases of flurona in the coming weeks. Health officials said that an investigation is needed to deeply understand the combined infection to help design a treatment plan and expected outcome.

Infectious disease expert Monica Gandhi from the University of California said that flurona is still a little mysterious for now. She reminded people to be careful and be prepared for both viruses.

On the other hand, Daily Express said that the two infections fall in the same bracket as they both can infect the upper respiratory tract. Given this clue, experts said that someone infected with flurona could display symptoms that are common in flu and coronavirus infection, such as continuous cough, fever, and loss or altered senses of smell and taste. They advise people exposed to or experiencing these symptoms to get a PCR test immediately.