In many countries, last year’s flu season was the least harmful in more than a decade.
It’s been dubbed flurona: when a person is infected with the influenza virus and the Covid-19 coronavirus, either simultaneously or back-to-back. Cases are being reported around the globe, and experts say they are likely to grow as the more contagious omicron variant becomes more prevalent. The phenomenon, however, isn’t exactly new. Reports of such “co-infections” go back to early 2020.
Almost two years ago, the coronavirus pandemic began to disrupt our lives. In 2021, a second catastrophic wave hit the country. The damage has been irreparable: to lives, livelihoods, jobs and the economy. Many have lost loved ones, and many have developed mental health issues from the deadly Delta variant. Then came Omicron, a variation that changes quickly. With the increase in coronavirus cases, the fear of a third wave of Covid is now a reality.
The country’s Covid tally hit 3.50 18,358 on Wednesday, while the number of active cases of infection hit 2 lakh after around 81 days. So far, 4.82,551 deaths have been reported in the country due to Covid. India crossed the sad 2 crore and 3 crore Covid case on May 4 and June 23, respectively, last year. A new condition is added to the pain: “Florida”, a mixture of coronavirus and influenza. When the world celebrated the New Year this weekend, Israel documented its first case of Florine in an unvaccinated pregnant woman who gave birth at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva on January 2. Israeli health officials say other patients may also have contracted the double infection. Panache Digital spoke with doctors to get some clarification on the flora and the precautions to be taken to protect against the two bugs.
