COVID-19 and influenza co-infection
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
Synonyms and keywords:
Overview
Historical Perspective
- COVID-19, also called Sever Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) originated in Wuhan, China in late December 2019. It has caused a significant morbidity and mortality worldwide and has been declared a global pandemic by the WHO.
- Influenza occurs mainly during the winter, it is a highly contagious acute viral respiratory infection that causes significant morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating COVID-19 and Influenza co-infection from other Diseases
- Influenza and COVID-19 are both contagious respiratory illnesses, but they are caused by different viruses. Influenza is caused by infection with influenza viruses and COVID-19 is caused by infection with the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Testing may be needed to help confirm a diagnosis because some of the symptoms of flu and COVID-19 are similar. Influenza and COVID-19 share many characteristics, but there are some key differences between the two.