Florona: a rare double infection with Covid and influenza in Israel

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Israel recorded its first case of a rare combination of two diseases, influenza and the Corona virus, which was called “Florona”.

Local reports stated that the patient was a pregnant young woman who was in the hospital, although her symptoms were mild.

“She was diagnosed with influenza and coronavirus as soon as she arrived,” said Arnon Wegnitzer, director of the department of gynecology at Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva.

“Both tests came back positive, even after we checked again,” he told the local Hamoudia newspaper.

Professor Wiesnetzer added: “The disease is the same disease: it is viral and causes difficulty breathing because both attack the upper respiratory tract.”

Israel’s Health Ministry said it was studying the case to determine whether the combination of infection could cause more serious illness.

The woman is expected to be discharged from hospital on Thursday.

While it is the first documented case to be diagnosed with the two diseases simultaneously, doctors believe there are more cases in the country.

“We are seeing more and more pregnant women with influenza. It is definitely a huge challenge dealing with a woman who comes with a fever at birth,” Professor Wiesnetzer said.

“This is especially so when you don’t know if it’s the coronavirus or the flu, so you refer to them the same way. Most illnesses are respiratory.”

Israel began giving the fourth vaccine to individuals with weakened immune systems on Friday to reduce the spread of the Omicron variant, The Times of Israel reported.

The country lifted mandates for outdoor masks in April, making them mandatory only for large gatherings, and cases have been steadily rising.

Data from the Ministry of Health showed that 5,000 cases of infection had been recorded as of Friday. 1,376,256 infections and 8,243 coronavirus-related deaths have been reported in Israel since the pandemic began.

On Thursday, the commander of the military’s coronavirus task force warned that the health care system would collapse as Omicron spreads, according to Haaretz.

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