Flurona: How Serious Is a Flu With Coronavirus?

A pregnant mom from Israel, who has remained unvaccinated, has tested positive for COVID-19 and the flu. Her case is the first documented "flurona" or flu with the coronavirus.

According to reports, the mother is receiving treatments at the Beilinson Hospital in the town of Petah Tikva. Her doctor said that she has been experiencing breathing difficulties because both the flu and COVID-19 "attack the upper respiratory tract."

Doctors in Israel are studying flurona since influenza cases have also been surging in the past few weeks, along with COVID-19 and the more transmissible Omicron variant. Cairo University Hospital expert Dr. Nahla Abdel Wahab said that having both the flu and COVID-19 could cause a major breakdown in a patient's immune system since there are two kinds of viruses attacking simultaneously.

In 2020, when COVID-19 vaccines were not yet available, flu cases dropped to their lowest levels because people were in quarantine or isolation, observing social distancing, and wearing masks. A year later, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said that while more than 172 million flu vaccine doses were distributed across the country, fewer people had their flu shots, leaving patients vulnerable to influenza again.

Read Also: How Parents May Keep Kids Safe From Omicron Amid CDC's New 'Test and Stay' Policy for Schools

Low Probability of Double Infection

However, according to David Edwards of Harvard University, the probability of catching both viruses simultaneously is relatively low for most people. However, flurona is gaining some attention because of the Omicron spread and the fact that flu has returned this year after last year's more restrictive safety measures.

"[This] is sort of like the probability of getting robbed by two people on the same day," Edwards said.

However, in May 2021, before Omicron and the flu season, experts from the University of Wisconsin gathered data of at least 24 percent of COVID-19 patients who also tested positive for other pathogens. They said that the outcomes for these patients with double infections were poorer, and the risks for mortality were higher. They recommended testing patients beyond just COVID-19, especially if their treatments haven't been working well.

After Israel's case, the Texas Children's Hospital also announced that a child had tested positive for flurona but is in recovery at home. Pathologist Dr. Jim Versalovic said that this is the first known case in the U.S., and they are still doing further studies on the patient's condition.

Other Types of Double Infection

However, USA Today reported that Texas Children's Hospital also had cases of double infection involving COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) among dozens of kids last summer. But, the doctors are more confident that flurona will have better outcomes since there are specific medications for the flu. There are no medications or vaccines for RSV.

Experts are also carefully studying a double infection of the Delta and the Omicron variant in Europe, where a tsunami of COVID cases has been gripping many nations. The twin spikes worry some doctors as there are no tools available to treat COVID-19. The experts also said that regardless of the virus, it's the immunocompromised people, the older generation, and kids younger than five who remain vulnerable, so this health crisis is far from over.

Related Article: What Parents Should Know About the COVID-19 Omicron Variant as Schools Remain Open