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‘Flurona’ the nickname used to describe someone infected with the flu and COVID-19, has been grabbing headlines and circulating around social media. While this combination of viruses seems like yet another affliction, it’s important to know what exactly flurona is and its effects on its inhabitants.

While flurona has been made out to be a deadly new ailment on social media, experts stress that the flurona is not a new disease, in fact it is common to be infected with both the flu and coronavirus.

“Both are common, so it is not unexpected that some people would be infected at the same time,” said Dr. Dan Barouch, director of the Center for Virology and Vaccine Research at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston.

It has always been possible to be infected with multiple viruses at once, experts say. Keep in mind that we’re entering flu season all while battling the COVID-19 surge, so there’s bound to be a greater chance that people will test positive for both viruses.

The flurona is actually a co-infection, and these cases were found last year during flu season as well.

“It has not been a big issue for us because of the low levels of influenza circulating in the community,” Dr. Jonathan Grein, director of Hospital Epidemiology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, told the hospital’s website.

“It’s obviously not good to be infected with two viruses rather than one, but there’s no clear indication that this is a particularly bad combination,” Grein added.

With the flu season and a COVID-19 surge happening at the same time, protect yourself against severe illness and hospitalization by vaccinating for the flu and coronavirus, wearing masks, and washing your hands frequently.