New Delhi: Israel is reported to have recorded the first case of 'Florona', a condition believed to be a double infection of Covid-19 and influenza. According to media reports, the first case was recorded this week in a pregnant woman who was admitted to the Rabin Medical Centre in Israel to give birth.
The young woman was not vaccinated, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth, media reports said.
The news comes amid a surge in Covid-19 cases due to the Omicron variant, which was first detected in South Africa in November 2021. Omicron, which is a fast-transmissible variant, has spread to most countries since.
What Is Florona?
Florona is not a new variant, and is believed to be the occurrence of flu and corona at the same time. Since there has been an increase in influenza cases in Israel in the last few weeks, Israeli doctors are studying Florona, according to the media reports.
Florona may indicate a major breakdown of the immunity system as two viruses are entering the human body at the same time, the reports quoted Dr Nahla Abdel Wahab, a doctor at Cairo University Hospital, as telling the Israeli media.
For both Covid-19 and influenza, one or more days can pass between when a person becomes infected and when he or she starts to experience illness symptoms, according to the US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). However, for a Covid-19 infection, it could take them longer to experience symptoms than if they had flu.
A person suffering from flu may experience symptoms anywhere from one to four days after infection. Meanwhile, in a person suffering from Covid-19, the onset of symptoms happens about five days after being infected, but symptoms can appear two to 14 days after infection, according to the CDC.
How Can Florona Infect People?
Both flu viruses and the novel coronavirus can be spread to others by people before they begin showing symptoms, by people with very mild symptoms, and by asymptomatic people.
Co-infection of viruses have occurred in the past, and public health experts have been worried about a "twindemic" of Covid-19 and influenza cases since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic. Due to social distancing and other precautionary measures, the spread of influenza cases was curbed. However, relaxation in restrictions has facilitated the spread of pathogens, which could be a reason behind the emergence of Florona.
According to a report in The Atlantic magazine, the twindemic never happened last winter. Probably due to mask wearing and social distancing, flu numbers in the US were much lower than normal during the 2020-2021 season, the report said.
A study published in the Nature journal said that little epidemiological evidence was collected last winter regarding the interaction between Covid-19 and flu. This was likely due to a low influenza virus infection rate resulting from social distancing, according to the study.
However, the same warnings have returned due to relaxation in pandemic restrictions, and fewer people getting flu shots.
When social distancing is not maintained, and two persons are at a distance of less than six feet from each other, large and small particles containing the Covid-19 or influenza virus may be expelled by the infected person when he or she coughs, sneezes, or talks. In this way, the particles may be spread to the other person, as a result of which he or she may get infected with the virus upon inhaling the aerosols, according to the CDC.
Also, infection can be fomite-borne, and spread through contaminated surfaces, if one touches them.
Likely Symptoms Of Florona
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), it is possible to catch both Covid-19 and influenza (flu) at the same time. Also, both viruses share similar symptoms, including cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, headache, and fatigue.
The health agency noted that the symptoms may vary among people, and that some people may have no symptoms, some may have mild symptoms, and some may suffer from severe disease.
Covid-19 and influenza are both airborne transmitted pathogens that infect the same human tissues, the Nature report said. These tissues are the respiratory tract, and nasal, bronchial, and lung cells.
Co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and the influenza virus may place a large population under high risk for concurrent infection with the two viruses, the report said.
People In Israel Are Receiving Their Fourth Vaccine Shots
People in Israel who have a compromised immune system are now being administered their fourth vaccine shots, according to reports.
It is believed that Delmicron, a combination of Delta and Omicron variants, is responsible for the surge in Covid-19 cases in the US and Europe. Delmicron is not a new variant, but the combined attack of the Delta and Omicron strains.
According to a Daily Mail report, Dr Paul Burton, Moderna's chief medical officer, said it was possible that both the strains can swap genes and trigger a more dangerous variant.
Quoting him, the report said there is certainly data, and there have been some papers published again from South Africa earlier from the pandemic when people, especially Immunocompromised people, can harbours both viruses.