For now, the flu virus is circulating very poorly in Belgium. On December 23, however, the Sciensano Public Health Institute called on people to remain vigilant. “However, we see that influenza is currently widespread in Northern and Eastern Europe, and to some extent also in some regions of France. We must therefore remain vigilant, ”indicated the health organization by encouraging people at risk to go through the vaccination box.
A double infection called Flurona
And fortunately, the flu is not present in Belgium today because it is possible to catch the flu and the coronavirus at the same time. This double infection has a name, which is however not official or scientific: Flurona (contraction of the word “flu” which means flu in English and “coronavirus”.
WHO has also confirmed that it is possible to catch both diseases at the same time. “Covid-19 and the flu are both infectious respiratory diseases, and they have certain symptoms in common. However, they are caused by different viruses, and there are differences between the groups of people who are most vulnerable to severe forms of each, ”the organization said.
Pregnant woman hospitalized in Israel
For the moment, the cases of “Flurona” remain rare and nothing indicates that this double infection leads to more hospitalizations. But several cases have already been detected across the world. Last week in Israel, a pregnant woman, vaccinated, was hospitalized due to this double infection with Covid-19 and the flu. She was able to leave the hospital in good health following a few days.
Watch out for successive infections
Cases of co-infections are “rare but not exceptional,” Bruno Lina, professor of virology at the CHU de Lyon, told Liberation. He has identified one or two cases in his institute. At present, it is too early to appreciate the dangers of this double infection. But according to the French professor, people who successively contract Covid-19 and influenza are at increased risk of death. “An increased mortality has been reported in people infected with the two viruses, compared to those who had only had Covid-19 or the flu,” Bruno Lina confirmed to Release.
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