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The first cases of Florona disease - a combination of the flu and coronavirus infections - have been reported, causing concern for some as the double infection looms large in parts of the world.
In Israel, the first reported case of the disease was identified on Friday, Dec. 31 in a woman who went into labor and was not vaccinated against COVID-19, officials said. Another case was also identified in a pregnant woman. Another case has also been detected in Israel.
According to health officials, Florona is not a mutation of the COVID-19 strain, but instead is identified when both the flu and coronavirus are present inside a body at the same time.
Symptoms of Florona are similar to the flu and COVID-19, which both affect one’s respiratory system.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), reported symptoms include:
- Loss of taste and smell;
- Cold and cough;
- Shortness of breath;
- Loss of appetite;
- Consistent pain in the chest.
Both COVID-19 and flu are spread when aerosol particles contaminated with the virus are released by an infected person while coughing, speaking or sneezing and a healthy person breathes that infected air.
It usually takes around two to 10 days for the symptoms to appear after being infected with the virus and the risk of spreading the virus to others is greater during the initial days, according to a Times of India report.
According to the WHO, to avoid becoming a victim of Florona, one should follow steps similar to those used to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including social distancing, wearing a face mask, and avoiding crowded or poorly ventilated indoor settings.
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