On Friday, several experts revealed that amidst the current surge in both COVID and influenza cases in India, many people are likely to be co-infected by the viruses, which can turn fatal if not treated on time. Even though both diseases are largely viral, people who have both infections will experience more cough and nasal symptoms.

A pre-print study reported the case of a 10-year-old girl from Kerala who was co-infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and influenza A-H3N2 in 2022. The school-going girl was taken to the primary health center with symptoms of low-grade fever associated with a cough and cold.

The researchers from the ICMR-NIE Chennai, the CSIR Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology, the District Medical Office in Kasaragod, Kerala, and the Department of Microbiology at the Government Medical College in Calicut, Kerala, revealed that the patient presented was co-infected with the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and the influenza A-H3N2 virus, as confirmed through genome sequencing data. She recovered quickly with symptomatic treatment without developing any complications.

The paper emphasized the significance of genetic surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 co-infections with other respiratory diseases to understand the prevalence of co-infections and, ultimately, to facilitate their early diagnosis and prevention.

In patients who also had SARS-CoV-2, it is predicted that 16% of pediatric influenza deaths in 2021–2022 would occur. Hence, the researchers noted that the paper stressed the importance of active case surveillance, follow-up, and molecular confirmation of infection. 

(Source: https://www.daijiworld.com/news/newsDisplay?newsID=1070390 )