Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 29: Doctors Association Kashmir (DAK) today said that people can catch flu and Covid-19 at the same time this winter which increases the chances of death.
DAK President Dr Nisar-ul-Hassan in a statement here said that having flu and Covid-19 together puts you at significantly increased risk of dying.
“According to a study carried out in the United Kingdom during the early phase of pandemic, people infected with both viruses were 2.27 times more likely to die than those with Covid-19 alone and 5.92 times more likely to die than those without any of the infection,” he said
“The researchers involved in the study analysed data on almost 20,000 people who were tested for both Covid and influenza. A total of 58 of those tested were positive for both viruses. 43 per cent of those with co-infection died, compared with 27 per cent of those who only had the coronavirus.”
Dr Nisar said getting infected even with one infection makes you more vulnerable to getting sick with the other. “Symptoms of flu and Covid-19 are pretty similar. So it is difficult to distinguish the two.”
He said that the best way to know if one has contracted the novel coronavirus or the flu is to get tested for both viruses “We can’t be complacent about flu which can alone cause a lot of trouble and with Covid-19 still raging, two together can wreak havoc,” he said.
He said that it is never too late to get the flu shot. “If you haven’t got yourself vaccinated yet, go and get it now,” he said, adding that people should adhere to the SOPs issued.
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