Beijing, 15 Jan (Xinhua) -- Recently, Latin American countries such as Brazil, Mexico and Peru have reported cases of dual infection with the new crown and influenza viruses, which has aroused public concern. The World Health Organization and Medical Experts in Latin America have called for the phenomenon of double infection to be taken seriously, but there is no need to panic, and that speeding up the vaccination of the new crown vaccine and influenza vaccine is the best way to prevent infection.
According to Brazilian health authorities on January 4, at least 115 cases of dual COVID-19 and influenza were reported in the states of São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Ceará. Information released by local health departments and research institutions in Mexico on the 9th shows that the country's Nayarit and Jalisco states have reported 3 cases of double infection.
The Peruvian Ministry of Health reported on the 6th that 3 cases of dual infection were detected in the northern Amazon region. Two of the infected people were each given two doses of COVID-19 vaccine and were in stable condition, while an 87-year-old died of complications after infection after infection because he was not vaccinated against COVID-19.
People wear masks as they walk the streets of São Paulo, Brazil, on August 2, 2021. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Larher Patraso)
According to the current official communiqués of various countries, the phenomenon of double infection of new crown and influenza also occurs in the United States, Israel, the Philippines, Hungary and other countries. According to the who's official website, the new crown virus and the influenza virus are both respiratory viruses, and similar symptoms may occur after infection, such as cough, runny nose, sore throat, fever, headache, etc., and can be transmitted through aerosols such as talking, coughing, and droplets sprayed when sneezing.
Cesar Munaco, director of public health surveillance at the National Epidemiological Prevention and Control Center of the Ministry of Health of Peru, pointed out that double infection is not a new disease or a new variant of the new coronavirus, but a co-infection caused by two viruses, the new crown and influenza.
A doctor examines a child at an influenza care center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Dec. 8, 2021. Xinhua News Agency/European News Agency
José Urbaes Brito, president of the Association of Infectious Diseases of the Brazilian Capital's Federal District, said that this mixed infection ends up being the same as the respiratory infections we know, with similar symptoms. People who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19 may be more severe if they are doubly infected because the respiratory symptoms caused by the two viruses can superimpose.
Speaking of the causes of double infection, Brazilian virologist Fernando Spilki said that when the epidemic situation was severe last year, countries took a variety of preventive measures, such as wearing masks and maintaining social distancing, which also reduced the spread of influenza viruses. However, since the end of 2021, the covid-19 epidemic in some countries has eased, the epidemic prevention measures have been relaxed, coupled with the increase in the gathering of people during the Christmas and New Year holidays, the spread of influenza in many cities in Brazil, and the rapid spread of the new crown mutation virus Omilkerong strain, which has caused the two viruses to be infected at the same time.
People wait in line in Mexico City, Mexico, on August 11, 2021, to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by David Drapas)
Malakias López, an epidemiologist at the National Autonomous University of Mexico, believes that the COVID-19 pandemic has affected the progress of influenza vaccination and is one of the reasons for the phenomenon of double infection. Local media in Mexico quoted experts as saying that if influenza cases continue to increase, more cases of such co-infections may occur in the coming weeks or months.
Maria VanKelkkhoff, who is the technical leader of the new crown virus at the WHO, said on the 12th that with the increase in people's social activities and the epidemic of other respiratory pathogens such as influenza virus in the spring, the simultaneous outbreak of new crown and other respiratory diseases may occur. She called on countries to be prepared for that.
On January 4, 2022, people were tested for COVID-19 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Xinhua News Agency (Photo by Martin Sabara)
WHO emphasizes that the most effective way to prevent double infection is to get the COVID-19 vaccine and the influenza vaccine separately, while continuing to take preventive measures such as social distancing, wearing masks, washing hands frequently, and strengthening indoor ventilation.
Urbaes Brito said that due to trade flows and frequent movements of people, double infection is likely to spread throughout Latin America. He said that the burden on the Brazilian health system has increased, some people have relaxed their protection because of the new crown vaccine, resulting in influenza virus infection, and most of the current new crown vaccines can not completely protect against the Omilon strain, the risk of double infection is very large, if you do not pay attention to the strengthening of needle vaccination, severe cases and even deaths may increase. (Reporters: Xi Yue, Chen Yao, Tian Rui, Zhao Yan, Chen Weihua, Zhu Yubo, Wu Hao, Hao Yunfu; Video: Zhao Yan, Zhu Yubo, Kang Wenjun; Editors: Wang Pei, Wang Yujue, Sun Shuo; Editors: Chen Yao, Wang Fengfeng, Jin Zheng, Wang Shen, Ge Chen, Peng Qian)
Produced by the International Department of Xinhua News Agency
Produced by Xinhua News Agency's International Communication Integration Platform