Health. Can you catch Covid-19 and the flu at the same time?

The case had the puffs of the press in January 2022 : an unvaccinated and pregnant Israeli had tested positive for both Covid and influenza, creating the first case of “flurona”, a contraction between “flu”, influenza in English and corona, for coronavirus. But this term is not at all scientific.

Since then, eight cases of double infection have been reported in France, according to our colleagues from Parisian.

But is it so new and so surprising as that? According to infectious disease specialists and the WHO, not so much.

According to the supranational organization, “it is possible to catch both diseases at the same time. »

But above all, other cases of this double infection had already been reported in 2020 by the American newspaper The Atlantic.

Similar symptoms

Due to the similarity of symptoms (cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, headache and fatigue) and the fact that both viruses are respiratory diseases, it is possible that many cases of “flurona” did not have was neither detected nor recorded.

There is no danger of creating a fused virus, a species of “supravirus” since Sars-Cov-2 and seasonal flu do not belong to the same family of viruses.

There is no current study to confirm any increased danger of contracting the two viruses at the same time. But according to the upward trend of the two viruses, emergency physicians should see many cases of influenza and Covid arrive in the units.

Keeping barrier gestures and vaccination, the only weapons once morest the two viruses

For people at risk (over 65, immunocompromised people), it is essential to maintain barrier measures and the wearing of masks, despite the lifting of restrictions decided at the beginning of last week.

The other way is obviously to get vaccinated: of course once morest Covid, if you are still not vaccinated or if you are affected by the third or fourth dose.

But we must also think of the flu vaccine, recommended for certain segments of the population such as people aged 65 and over, those under 65 suffering from certain chronic diseases, pregnant women or people suffering from obesity.