What is Flurona? Israel reports world's first case with both flu and Covid-19
A young pregnant woman in Israel has been diagnosed with a condition called 'Flurona', which is caused when a person catches the Coronavirus and the flu all at once. At a time when there is a wave of flu infections being reported, Flurona is being studied to determine if the combination can cause an even deadlier illness. Although her case is first documented in the world, doctors believe there could be more such infections in the country.
The woman diagnosed with Flurona presented with only mild symptoms. She was subsequently admitted to the Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva city. It was the director of the hospital's gynecology department, professor Arnon Vizhnitser, who double-checked and confirmed that the woman tested positive for both viruses. She was reportedly not vaccinated against either pathogen.
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Professor Arnon Vizhnitser, director of the Hospital's Gynaecology Department and an obstetrics and gynecology specialist, told Hamodia, "Last year, we did not witness flu cases among pregnant or birthing women. Today, we are seeing cases of both coronavirus and the flu that are starting to rear their head.”
Noting that the patient did not have unusually harsh symptoms, Vizhnitser said, "She was diagnosed with the flu and coronavirus as soon as she arrived. 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.”
On Wednesday, December 29, 2021, Israel’s health ministry said that there has been a rise in cases of flu, with 1,849 Israelis hospitalized with it, including 605 children and 124 pregnant women and new mothers. The ministry urged Israelis to get vaccinated against the flu. At present, anyone over six months is eligible for the vaccine. The ministry also urged people to get vaccinated against coronavirus at the same time.
“The flu virus can cause serious illness, such as pneumonia, other respiratory complications, myocarditis and even death,” a Health Ministry statement said. Health officials said that there could be a 'twindemic' where hospitals will become overburdened with simultaneous waves of flu and coronavirus. Israel is one of the most vaccinated nations in the world. However, ever since the rise of the Omicron variant, the country has seen a resurgence in Coronavirus cases.