CLEVELAND — The term, “flurona” has been highlighted online to describe people who have the flu and COVID-19 at the same time.

What You Need To Know

  • Reports of people having coronavirus and the flu are rare, according to medical experts

  • If people are concerned about having either illness, they should get tested and stay home

  • Coronavirus continues to rapidly spread in Ohio

“It’s not a medical phrase,” said Dr. Amy Edwards, a pediatric infectious disease expert at University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland.

“It’s a rather nonsensical phrase,” Edwards said. “Influenza is one virus; SARS-CoV-2 is a different virus. They’re not even in the same family, so that phrase doesn’t make a lot of medical sense.”

She said there have been only a few documented cases where people have both the coronavirus and the flu at the same time.

Flu cases, in general, have been trending down since the beginning of pandemic, in large part due to safety protocols being taken.

“Masking, while only moderately helpful with COVID, is significantly helpful for influenza and almost eliminates the spread of it,” Edwards said. “Hand washing and staying home, that sort of thing, and obviously, yes, getting a flu shot would be very helpful as well.”

While flu cases are down, COVID-19 cases are skyrocketing.

Summit County Public Health set up COVID-19 drive-through testing for three days during the last week of 2021, and reports that among the 2,300 tests administered, there was a 54% positivity rate.

Compared that to 2020, the county's highest rate recorded was around 20%.

The flu and coronavirus have many of the same symptoms.

“Respiratory infections are respiratory infections," said Edwards. "We often can’t tell the difference. Of course, there are obvious differences like loss of taste with coronavirus.”

According to the CDC, flu and coronavirus similar symptoms include:

  • Fever or feeling feverish/having chills
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
  • Fatigue/tiredness
  • Sore throat
  • Runny or stuffy nose
  • Muscle pain or body aches
  • Headache
  • Vomiting and diarrhea

“Without testing, there’s really no way to know, which is why if you’re not feeling good you should just stay home,” said Edwards. “It doesn’t matter what you have, don’t spread it around.”