A young pregnant women in Israel has been diagnosed with both the flu and the coronavirus all at once, a condition dubbed “Flurona”. The infection, which comes amid a wave of flu infections, is being studied to determine if the combination can cause a more serious illness.
The woman presented with mild symptoms. Local newspaper Hamodia reported that she was admitted to the Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva city. Professor Arnon Vizhnitser, director of the hospital's gynaecology department, told the paper that she tested positive for both viruses, something that was double-checked and later confirmed.
On Wednesday, Israel’s health ministry said there had been a rise in flu cases, with 1,849 Israelis hospitalised with it, including 605 children and 124 pregnant women and new mothers. The ministry called for Israelis to get vaccinated against the flu, noting that anyone over six months was eligible for the vaccine, while those who were eligible for a COVID-19 shot could also get that 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 warned ofa “twindemic” where hospitals cuold be overwhelmed by simultaneous waves of flu and COVID-19.
Isreal, one of the most vaccinated nations on earth, has been seeing a resurgence in COVID-19 cases after the rise of the Omicron variant.
