‘Flurona’: Israel reports first case of rare double infection of COVID, flu 

Jerusalem: Israeli health authorities have detected a rare case of what some are calling "flurona" — a mixture of COVID-19 and the flu. 

The first known case of the double infection was identified in a woman who was giving birth last week at Rabin Medical Center in Petah Tikva, Israel.

A pregnant woman tested positive for both viruses after being admitted to hospital in Beilinson Hospital in Petah Tikva, east of Tel Aviv.

It comes as Israel is experiencing a spike in influenza cases in recent weeks, sparking fears of a "twindemic".

"She was diagnosed with the flu and coronavirus as soon as she arrived," gynecology department director Arnon Vizhnitser told reporters. "Both tests came back positive, even after we checked again. The disease is the same disease -- they're viral and cause difficulty breathing since both attack the upper respiratory tract".

The case came amid a worrying increase in seasonal influenza cases in the Middle Eastern nation.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Center for Disease Control reported a sharp increase in flu hospitalizations during the second week of December. Nearly 1,900 patients were admitted, including more than 605 children and 124 pregnant and birthing women.

However, health officials urged everyone six months or older to get vaccinated against influenza, which can be administered alongside a COVID-19 vaccine.