Flurona: what is it?

Flurona is an expression that was first used in January 2022. It is a contraction between the word flu which means flu in English and the word coronavirus. A person with flurona is someone who has contracted the flurona virus. flu and the SARS-CoV-2 the same time.

While the term flurona was first used in January 2022, cases of co-infection with influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 virus had previously been observed. Cases were described in the USA in 2020 and others were also reported in France, Paris and Lyon. It is also possible that other cases have arisen without being documented. Co-infection with two viruses at the same time is rare, but not exceptional. L‘WHO specifies that it is possible to be contaminated by both viruses the same time.

Symptoms of flurona

About the symptoms, in view of the data available to date, they do not seem to be more important than those of the two diseases alone. The case described in Israel in January 2022 concerned a pregnant woman unvaccinated who presented mild symptoms, such as difficulty in breathing. She was hospitalized a few days before returning to her home.

Prevention and treatment of disease

To date, there is no specific treatment against the flurona. On the other hand, there is a vaccine for each of the two viruses concerned. the vaccine against Covid-19 is accessible to everyone from 5 years old in France. The flu vaccine is also accessible to everyone and recommended for the most fragile people.

Spread of viruses

At the start of the health crisis, the barrier gestures and the imposed confinements were extremely well respected by the populations. These measures made it possible to contain the SARS-CoV-2 but also the influenza virus, bronchiolitis and all contagious winter diseases. This is why very few cases of co-infection have been reported so far. With the weariness of the populations, it is possible that this type of case will become more frequent.