Israel has reportedly documented the first case of Florona -- a simultaneous infection of COVID-19 and influenza. According to the news website Ynetnews, the double infection was first identified in a woman who went into labour at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva. As per the hospital, the young mother is not vaccinated against either pathogen.

The report said that Israel’s Health Ministry is still examining the case, which was relatively mild, and is yet to determine whether a combination of the two viruses causes more severe illness. Health officials estimate that many other patients have also come down with both the infections but have not been diagnosed.

"Last year, we did not witness flu cases among pregnant or birthing women," Arnon Vizhnitser, an obstetrics and gynecology specialist and the director of the hospitals' Gynecology Department, was quoted as saying. "Today, we are seeing cases of both the coronavirus and the flu that are starting to rear their head. We are seeing more and more pregnant women with the flu," Vizhnitser added.

According to Vizhnitser, it is a great challenge dealing with a woman who comes in with a fever at childbirth and you do not know if it's the coronavirus or the flu, so you refer to them the same. Most of the illness is respiratory.

Florona is not a new variant of COVID-19. The Hindustan Times quotes doctor Nahla Abdul Wahab at the Cairo University Hospital saying that the double infection (of COVID-19 and the flu) might be indicative of the collapse of the patient's immune system, since the body is letting two viruses in at the same time.

Recently Israel initiated a fourth dose of vaccination against COVID-19 for its citizens.

Florona is not a new variant of COVID-19. The Hindustan Times quotes a doctor at the Cairo University Hospital saying that the double infection (of COVID-19 and the flu) might be indicative of the collapse of the patient's immune system, since the body is letting two viruses in at the same time.

Recently Israel initiated a fourth dose of vaccination against COVID-19 for its citizens.

The country has also been seeing an increase in the number of omicron cases and this could result in her immunity, said the health ministry according to an NDTV report.

(With IANS inputs)