Suffering with Covid and the flu at the same time increases risk of severe disease or death, according to new research. The study found that adults in hospital with coronavirus and influenza are more likely to become more ill compared to patients who have Covid alone or with other viruses.
The researchers found that those with SARS-CoV-2 - which causes Covid-19 - and influenza viruses were four times more likely to require ventilation support and 2.4 times more likely to lose their life.
The study - carried out by researchers from the University of Edinburgh, University of Liverpool, Imperial London and Leiden University in the Netherlands - analysed more than 305,000 people who required hospital treatment after contracting Covid.
The findings suggested that there is a need for greater flu testing of Covid patients in hospitals as well as highlighting the important of full vaccination against both coronavirus and the flu.