With the omicron variant persevering with to comb throughout the Backyard State, Well being Division surveillance information exhibits flu exercise can be spiking, and that has well being officers involved.
It seems you will get the flu and coronavirus on the similar time — an sickness that’s being referred to as flurona.
It is arduous to know
State epidemiologist Dr. Tina Tan mentioned there may be not a whole lot of arduous information on this as a result of it might require clinicians to check for each flu and COVID — and for folks to hunt testing.
“Loads of instances when persons are getting examined for COVID they’re not getting examined for flu on the similar time, so it’s very arduous to make a willpower,” she mentioned.
Tan identified that getting COVID or the flu will be critical, however coming down with flurona might result in much more issues.
A double whammy
“Co-infection with two completely different viruses might doubtlessly result in extra extreme outcomes, that’s why we’re actually making an attempt to encourage everyone to get vaccinated not just for COVID-19 but additionally to get vaccinated in opposition to flu,” she mentioned.
These with compromised immune methods will be notably prone to flurona, particularly as a result of influenza exercise has elevated considerably in latest weeks.
Influenza spike
“Proper now all through your entire state we’re seeing excessive ranges of influenza exercise,” she mentioned.
Emergency room and outpatient supplier visits coping with flu-like diseases have elevated.
Tan mentioned the flu virus that’s predominant, AH3N2, “is related to extra extreme sickness, notably amongst older people and youthful people, in order that signifies that this explicit kind of flu typically is related to elevated hospitalizations.”
She famous that is the primary flu season in a minimum of the previous 5 years with excessive ranges of influenza in all areas of the state in early January.
How are you aware what you’ve received?
So how are you aware should you’re sick with the flu, COVID, another virus or only a unhealthy chilly? Testing is the one option to know. Many signs of all of those diseases are comparable.
“It’s very troublesome to make the willpower primarily based on signs alone, so we extremely encourage people to get examined,” Tan mentioned.
You possibly can contact reporter David Matthau at David.Matthau@townsquaremedia.com.
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