As many of us get closer to our first COVID-19 winter, we have many things to feel optimistic about: vaccine results are on the horizon, mortality rates for those infected have fallen and established therapeutic strategies, such as treatment with the antiviral drug remdesivir, seem to be reducing illness. Unfortunately, winter also brings with it a whole swath of respiratory viruses, with influenza leading the charge. So should we be concerned about our chances of catching both influenza and SARS-CoV-2 viruses at the same time, known as a co-infection?
Recent news of a confirmed case of a flu-COVID co-infection in the Bay Area, California, is a stark reminder of the challenges that still lie before us in tackling this pandemic. The Solano County Department of Health and Social Services broke the news of an unfortunate person who suffered from both an influenza infection and COVID-19, but who now appears to be fully recovered. This is by no means the first case of such a co-infection, and it won’t be the last.
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Article originally appeared on The Conversation.
The featured image has been used courtesy of a Creative Commons license.
