Flurona — a combination of the influenza virus and Coronavirus — is making its way around the world in news headlines..The dual infection was first reported nearly two years ago in the US, but the recent diagnosis of a pregnant woman in Israel who tested positive for both the coronavirus and the flu has brought flurona into headlines..Although the woman was unvaccinated, she only suffered mild symptoms..After Israel reported its first case on January 2, news outlets in Europe quickly dubbed the infection “flurona” while a British tabloid referred to it as “double trouble.”.Symptoms of the dual respiratory infections include fever, coughing, fatigue, runny nose, sore throat, diarrhea and often body aches. Depending on the health of the individual, symptoms can range from mild to severe..According to the World Health Organization (WHO), each illness has similar transmission — through droplets and aerosols passed on through coughing, sneezing, speaking, singing or breathing..Cases of the dual infections are not new and have been reported in Israel, Brazil, the Philippines, Hungary and the US..Cases this week have been reported in Texas and California..The combination illness is feared to become more prevalent as the Omicron variant spreads and flu season continues..According to the Centers for Disease Control, influenza activity is up this year across the US. The majority of cases detected so far have been the strain of influenza A (H3N2)..Health experts are still stressing the COVID-19 and flu vaccines remain the best way to protect against severe symptoms.
