Flurona: double infection by Covid-19 and flu spread across the country

Flurone is a double infection by Covid-19 and flu that began to be identified across the country, amid the advancement of the Ômicron variant and the relaxation of people’s care with preventive measures against the coronavirus .

In addition to Covid-19 , cases of influenza virus are increasingly being confirmed, most caused by the Darwin strain of influenza A subtype H3N2 .

This strain was first identified in 2018 in the city of the same name, in Australia, and was already circulating in some countries.

In Brazil, Darwin has been causing outbreaks since the end of 2021, as well as SARS-CoV-2, the influenza virus has high transmissibility, and the most common symptoms are high fever , chills, headache , fatigue and pain in the stomach . body .

How to differentiate between Covid-19 and influenza flu?

Covid-19:

Covid-19 infection can range from asymptomatic cases and mild clinical manifestations, to moderate, severe and critical conditions, requiring special attention to the signs and symptoms that indicate a worsening of the clinical condition that require the patient’s hospitalization.

In general, cases can be classified into:

Asymptomatic case:

Characterized by a positive laboratory test for covid-19 with no symptoms.

Mild case:

Mild cases have the presence of non-specific symptoms, such as cough , sore throat or runny nose, followed or not by diarrhea, abdominal pain, fever , chills, myalgia, fatigue and/or headache .

Moderate case:

In moderate cases, the most frequent symptoms can range from mild signs of the disease , such as persistent cough and daily persistent fever .

Serious case:

In severe cases, severe acute respiratory syndrome that presents with dyspnea/respiratory discomfort or persistent pressure in the chest or oxygen saturation below 95% in room air or a bluish discoloration of the lips or face.

In children, the main symptoms include tachypnea (rapid breathing), hypoxemia, respiratory distress, altered consciousness, dehydration, difficulty eating, myocardial damage, elevation of liver enzymes, clotting dysfunction, and seizures. ^[1]

Influenza flu:

In addition, the H3N2 Influenza viral subtype has spread through the population because it has not yet been covered.

Immunization must be guaranteed this year, with the update of immunizers. Until then, it is necessary to wear a mask and keep attention to symptoms.

– Fever ;
– Sore throat ;
– Cough ;
– Pain in the body ;
– Headache ;
– Chills;
– Excessive nasal secretion;
– Weakness;
– Diarrhea .

Preventive measures against flurone:

While the Influenza vaccine is in the production phase for the 2022 campaign, the population can and should adopt the following precautionary measures for flurone .

For example, using a mask and gel alcohol, washing your hands several times a day, especially before eating food .

In addition, it is also important to avoid touching the face and mucous membranes of the eyes, nose and mouth, keep the environments well ventilated, avoid close contact with people who have flu symptoms, avoid agglomerations and closed environments.

In addition to adopting healthy habits, such as balanced diet and fluid intake. ^[two]

Importance of wearing mask:

In addition, there are several types of masks for different purposes, and some of them are used for respiratory protection such as the N95 type, which are used by health professionals.

On the other hand, other types of masks , such as fabric with three layers and surgical masks  , have the main function of protecting the patient or keeping the sterile environment free of microorganisms or in which they cannot reproduce. ^[3]