JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — (The video above is from a previous story)
First Coast News has learned that there have been several confirmed cases of "flurona" in Jacksonville.
First came "delmicron," now comes "flurona" - an illness that potentially packs a double whammy for folks who get infected with both coronavirus and the flu. It's a rare double infection in which a person catches both of the viruses, simultaneously.
A media representative for UF Health Jacksonville confirmed that we have seen some co-infectious cases here locally.
Doctors say flu and COVID-19 infections have been present since the start of the pandemic, but can be more difficult to track.
According to a U.S. Centers for Disease Control flu season FAQ posted in October, it is absolutely possible to "have flu, as well as other respiratory illnesses, and COVID-19 at the same time."
In September, Indiana doctors raised concern about a possible 'twindemic' - where rising COVID-19 cases coincided with a rising number of flu cases and overwhelmed our health care system.
Flurona is different from a twindemic, as it refers to a true co-infection of two viruses, as opposed to two sets of people with different viruses.
Both COVID-19 and the flu are respiratory diseases which are spread through droplets, and when an infected person breathes, sneezes or coughs.
Cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, headache and fatigue are both common symptoms of influenza and COVID-19, according to the CDC
Both viruses can attack the lungs and lead to pneumonia.