Happy 2022! New year, new diseases — I think is what they say? In any case, the Daily Beast reports that the first-ever verified influenza-coronavirus-combo case has emerged in Israel. Unlike other reports of tandem infections that surfaced in the United States in early 2020, this one gets a verified blue check mark from the World Health Organization, and with it, a nickname: “flurona.” Not a vocab word I care to add to my lexicon, but here we are.
According to the Times of Israel, Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva reported the dual infection on Thursday, after an unvaccinated pregnant woman with mild symptoms tested positive upon admission. She apparently didn’t know she had either virus, though Israel is experiencing a surge in flu cases, too. Per the Times, national health officials suspect this “flurona” patient is not the only one out there, though hers is the first confirmed case. She has been released, allegedly in “good condition.”
Realistically, I suppose none of this should be surprising — co-infection is a possibility whether we are talking about two simultaneous colds or COVID-19 and the flu — but maybe you have been too busy wondering if your scratchy throat and achy muscles are Omicron-related to consider the possibility of multiple causes. Or maybe the recent musings of Moderna’s chief medical office regarding the possibility of Delta-Omicron superstrain have been keeping you up at night. Anyway, new year, same hellscape.
