The first case of a patient infected with both COVID-19 and Influenza has been detected in Israel.
The Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva said the so-called 'flurona' patient was a pregnant woman who had not been vaccinated against coronavirus.
The hospital said she was only displaying mild symptoms, according to the Times of Israel, although the UK's Daily Mirror reported she was experiencing breathing difficulties.
“She was diagnosed with the flu and coronavirus as soon as she arrived," gyneacology department director Professor Arnon Vizhnitser told newspaper Hamodia. “Both tests came back positive, even after we checked again."
The specialist stressed that the combination of the two diseases was no more dangerous than having either on its own.
"The disease is the same disease: they’re viral and cause difficulty breathing since both attack the upper respiratory tract," Vizhnitser added.
That assessment was backed up by Dr Thomas Russo, head of infectious diseases at the University of Buffalo in New York.
But the case has raised fears of a 'twindemic' as infections numbers rise again in Israel since the advent of the new Omicron variant — where the government is now offering fourth booster jabs to already triple-vaccinated citizens.
“Last year, we did not witness flu cases among pregnant or birthing women,” Vizhnitser observed. “Today, we are seeing cases of both coronavirus and the flu that are starting to rear their head.”