The city of São Paulo reported, this Tuesday (4), that it has 24 residents with confirmed cases of simultaneous infection by Covid-19 and influenza. This phenomenon has been called “flurone”, a combination of the words “flu” (flu) and “coronavirus”.
Through the Municipal Health Department, the City of São Paulo stated that all patients hospitalized with Severe Acute Respiratory Syndromes (SRAG) undergo a process of collecting samples to investigate the influenza virus and Covid-19.
From these collections, data from the Influenza Epidemiological Surveillance System (Sivep-Influenza) registered 24 cases of patients with coinfection between infleunza and Covid-19 through detectable RT-PCR tests for both viruses.
In São Paulo, the Hospital Municipal da Brasilândia is working exclusively for the reception and treatment of SARS cases. Currently, according to the Municipal Health Department, the hospital unit has 121 patients hospitalized in ICU beds and 164 hospitalized in ward beds.
The term “flurone” was used for the first time after the identification of a case of coinfection in Israel. Experts say that cases of simultaneous infection between Covid-19 and influenza were to be expected and that they are not necessarily more serious than cases where there is infection with just one of the viruses.
In Brazil, two state health departments have confirmed cases of “flurone”: Ceará and Rio Grande do Norte. Two other cities, São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, have confirmed cases of coinfection by Covid-19 and influenza, but the respective states have not yet considered them.
In a note, the Ministry of Health clarifies that “influenza and other respiratory virus data are monitored by the folder via sentinel surveillance, where, by weekly sampling, diagnosis is made for influenza and some other respiratory viruses, in addition to the Acute Respiratory Syndrome surveillance Serious (SRAG) and Covid-19”.
(With information from Giulia Alecrim)
Reference: CNN Brasil
