Risk of death more than doubles with COVID-19 and flu co-infection, study suggests – CTV
March 29, 2022
Adults who are hospitalized with COVID-19 and the flu at the same time are at a greater risk for serious illness and death, according to a new study.
Researchers from the University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, Leiden University and Imperial College London studied more than 305,000 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and published their findings in The Lancet on Friday. Of the patients studied, nearly 7,000 had respiratory viral co-infections with 227 of these patients simultaneously having seasonal influenza and COVID-19.
According to the study, patients with a co-infection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and influenza viruses were four times more likely to need ventilation during their hospital stay. The study also suggested these patients were 2.4 times more likely to die than patients hospitalized with just COVID-19.
