What could COVID-19 and the flu do together? 'Flurona,' experts say

• Flurona is a term coined by experts to describe being infected with both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.
• "There is a possibility that someone will contract both," experts say.
  
•  Flu and COVID-19 are both respiratory diseases, experts say.
  

After Israel's first known case of a person infected with COVID-19 and the flu was detected, the question arose: what could COVID-19 and the flu do together?

Experts call it "Flurona," a term coined to describe being infected with both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.

Nadav Davidovitch, director of Israel's Ben-Gurion University's School of Public Health, told CNN that "there is a possibility that someone will contract both" because "there is now both extremely high influenza and extremely high COVID activity."

"I do not believe this will occur frequently, but it is worth considering," added Davidovitch, a member of Israel's National Advisory Committee on COVID-19.

While lockdowns and the use of masks aided in containing the spread of influenza early in the pandemic, cases are expected to rise as society becomes more open.

"It's fascinating that after a year with extremely low or no influenza activity, people become more vulnerable the following year as a result of their reduced exposure," Davidovitch explained.

He added that these viruses are unlikely to have a "significant effect on the individual" in healthy individuals who have been vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19.

The threat to vulnerable groups

The flu and COVID-19 are both respiratory diseases that can cause similar symptoms such as a cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, headache, and fatigue, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

Most cases of COVID-19 with the Omicron variant are said to have been mild, and there are some reports that the virus has already mingled with the ordinary cold during flu season, which is adding to its quick spread around the globe.