In an interview with CNN this Monday (3), pulmonologist and Fiocruz researcher Margareth Dalcolmo said that the coinfection between influenza and Covid-19 “does not cause any surprises” in the scientific community. The specialist found that Brazil is currently facing two concurrent epidemics and, for this reason, there are more cases of coinfection than those reported.
“In Brazil we have, in the Southeast region, in particular, two concomitant epidemics. One from influenza A, the H3N2 strain, and at the same time a new strain of concern, the Ômicron variant,” he said. “I don’t see anything surprising. There are certainly other cases besides those formally notified to the formal notification networks of the Health secretariats.”
Recently, cases of coinfection, in which the same person is diagnosed with both influenza and Covid-19, have been reported worldwide. The term “Flurone” was designated for this type of concurrent infection and was used for the first time after identifying a case in Israel.
According to the Fiocruz researcher, in a case of “Flurona”, the seriousness of the case and the possible need for hospitalization are linked to the conditions of each person. “What would lead to aggravation is not exactly the role of each individual pathogen, it is the person’s own conditions. In other words, if you are an older person, if you have a clinical condition, a comorbidity that leads to aggravation”, he said.
Dalcolmo also commented on the advancement of the Ômicron variant of the coronavirus in Brazil. For the pulmonologist, it seems that the new strain less affects the lungs of those infected and causes milder cases of Covid-19. However, the expert believes that Ômicron is advancing rapidly across the country and may soon be responsible for most cases.
“It is very likely that Ômicron is the dominant strain in the country. It can become dominant in a few weeks, as it has already become in the United States because of its high rate of transmission”, said the scientist.
The main defense mechanism against the variant, according to Dalcolmo, is vaccination. The specialist also defended the immunization of children, and stated that the vaccine “showed, in a robust and consistent way, a lot of safety for this age group”.
“It’s a question of health economics, when a child dies, you don’t count for the death, you count for the years of life lost. So a pediatric death means a lot to us”, said the Fiocruz researcher.
Reference: CNN Brasil
