LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — The first case of flurona – the combination of both influenza and coronavirus – has been detected at the COVID-19 testing center at the Getty Center.
The patient was described only as a teenage boy with mild symptoms who tested positive for both flu and COVID. He and his family had just returned from a trip to Cabo San Lucas, and he was the only member experiencing symptoms. He was the only one in his family to test positive for both viruses, but one of his parents has tested positive for COVID.
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The testing site, run by 911 COVID Testing, says they’ve seen about a 30% positivity rate among the people tested in the past few days, along with a few confirmed cases of the flu.
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Flurona, a combination of influenza and coronavirus, was first reported in Israel. That patient was reportedly an unvaccinated pregnant woman with mild symptoms. Other cases of flurona have apparently surfaced in Florida and Texas, and they all seem to be among minors — children and teenagers.
Flu and COVID-19 symptoms, particularly the Omicron variant, overlap in many ways – respiratory difficulties, weakness, sniffles, according to Steven Berzan, the operations chief of 911 COVID Testing.
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The detection of flurona should not be cause for alarm, Berzan said, but another reminder to take precautions such as wearing a mask, washing hands, and staying home when sick.