Israel has recorded its first case of ‘flurona’ – a simultaneous infection of the flu and Covid virus, Ynet reported on Thursday.
The double infection was identified when a woman in labour was found positive for both infections at the Beilinson hospital in Petach Tikva, in central Israel. Ynet said that the mother was not vaccinated against either virus, and will be discharged from the hospital on Thursday.
The Israeli Health Ministry is still examining the case, having yet to determine whether the two viruses combined may cause more severe illness.
It is believed by health officials that other patients have also been infected with both bugs, but have not yet been diagnosed.
“Last year, we did not witness flu cases among pregnant or birthing women,” said Prof. Arnon Vizhnitser, an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist and the director of the hospital’s gynaecology department. “Today, we are seeing cases of both coronavirus and the flu that are starting to rear their head.”
Fortunately, Vizhnitser noted that the woman did not experience any unusually harsh symptoms.
