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Is "Flurona" another big problem for public health?
If society learned anything, it is that during the pandemic, a maelstrom of misinformation appeared. Now, the term "Flurone" is becoming more and more common to refer to a new type of respiratory infection.
In times when the delta and omicron variant make the main headlines in health news, it seemed impossible that something else would disturb the world. But is it really a new public health problem?
What do you know about Flurona?
According to information released by the Israeli Ministry of Health, the first case of Flurona has been detected. It is an unprecedented respiratory infectious disease in that country, which combines coronavirus strains with influenza (A or B).
In other words, the common flu and coronavirus disease can come together and trigger a single infection.
As can be seen, once it was discovered, it symbolized a sign of alarm for both the Israeli nation and the international community.
Fortunately, the symptoms experienced by the "zero" patient are from a common flu. That is, mild clinical manifestations that occur with low intensity breathing difficulty, cough, headache, among others.
Flurona's first case
Originally, the term in question was created by the Israeli daily Ynet, charged with spreading what is known about Flurona. From that moment, the official health media of the nation echoed the name.
The same sources revealed and explained the case of patient zero: a pregnant woman who gave birth at Beilinson Hospital.
In essence, the female from Petah Tikva, Israel, presented uncomplicated respiratory symptoms. At the same time, her medical history indicated that she had never been vaccinated against any type of flu.
To the surprise of the entity's health personnel, it also did not receive the basic immunization scheme against SARS-COV-2. The sum of these risk factors benefited what appears to be the first documented scenario of a cross infection by these viruses in Israel.
Flurona cannot be confused
The particular names that have received the variations of the coronavirus, such as delta and omicron, cause confusion.
"Flurone" is an outlandish designation that leads one to think that it is directly related to a derivation of SARS-COV-2.
The reality is that it is considered or classified as a "coinfection" where both viruses (influenza and coronavirus) are related. They infect their host and, so far, only mild symptoms have been evidenced, described by the medical community.
It is definitely not a new virus, much less a disease that can cause a similar impact to the coronavirus.
Nor is it an extraordinary or novel situation, since it was anticipated that these events could be probable.
What's behind the term?
Flurona is a media name designated by the Israeli press and rapidly coined by its health societies. However, other examples where co-infections have occurred in the past have already been described.
Rewinding to 2020, specifically at the end of February, where the pandemic was just beginning, a similar summary was obtained. A man with symptoms consistent with influenza came to the ProHealth medical center in New York.
In the first instance, he was approached by the corresponding health personnel until he tested positive for the influenza virus. To rule out, the coronavirus screening test was also performed simultaneously.
In early March, both the man and his family described a positive result for SARS-COV-2. Therefore, it was confirmed that co-infections were a reality that, by that time, further complicated the picture.
Advantageously, the documentation of other identical cases was not as recurrent as expected. On the contrary, it did not capture the public attention and by 2021, it was ruled out that the cross infection triggered serious symptoms.
At the end of 2021, it was known that the sanitary measures in the public sphere, correctly complied with over 2 years, led to positive conclusions.
Social distancing and other hygiene protocols decreased influenza hospitalizations.
Around this, it was also concluded that various types of flu-related viruses were completely counteracted. As its transmission chains were reduced or limited, cases of seasonal influenza decreased dramatically.
As flu levels from influenza fell to never-before-seen levels, co-infections have become rare to date. That explains part of the uproar that the appearance of Flurona in Israel has caused.
It should be noted that the main outbreaks during the pandemic pointed directly to SARS-COV-2 and the emergence of its variants. It means that in-depth studies on coinfections by both viruses were not carried out serially.
WHO expert calls for calm
The official epidemiologist of the World Health Organization (WHO), Abdi Mahamud, reiterated that the risk of new variants by Flurona is not a contemplated horizon. Simultaneously, on January 4, 2022, he commented that cross infections are more common than is thought.
“It is essential to understand that they are two different viruses that do not have much interaction between them. They use different receptors and mechanisms to infect, so their forms of replication are not the same ”. — Mahamud explained.
It strengthens the argument that Flurona is not a variant of the coronavirus, calling to calm those who present confusion.
He asserts that infections of this type are returning to their peak, since the Christmas celebrations "relaxed" the sanitary measures.
"Variations of SARS-COV-2 arise in favorable organisms with great terrain to replicate. For example, those people with immunological defects or who have not been immunized”. — Sentenced the expert epidemiologist.
It culminated in reinforcing the idea that mass vaccination and the scope of herd immunity is the objective to be achieved in 2022. Hand in hand with the success of these strategies, the pandemic that began in early 2020 will be one step away from ending.
So is it a disease to worry about?
The simultaneous infection by coronavirus and influenza in any of its types is not alarming as cited by expert media. But, on their own, both seasonal flu and COVID-19 cause hospitalizations and deaths.
Although the cases documented by a coinfection have described mild symptoms, it is not advisable to lower our guard. Given this, vaccination programs, especially those aimed at boosting other doses, have been accentuated.
Flurona is nothing more than a neologism created by the press and adopted in an Anglo-Saxon way. The combination of two words: “flu” (flu in English) and “corona” (for coronavirus), allows the name of the term in question.
Basically it is useful to refer to cross infections, but it is important not to fool yourself.
Once again, it is emphasized that we are not talking about a variant of SARS-COV-2, but about a particular disease.
