[ad_1]
People who are infected with both the coronavirus and the flu are at increased risk of death, Public Health England warned.
A study conducted during the first wave of the pandemic suggests that those with coinfection had a risk of death six times greater than the general population.
Figures show that 43% of those diagnosed with COVID-19 and flu died, compared to 27% of those who only tested positive for the coronavirus.
Watch and follow live on Sky News as Boris Johnson updates MPs on coronavirus plans at 12.30pm
Those who lost their lives tended to be older, Public Health England added.
The flu typically kills about 11,000 people a year in England and many more are hospitalized, prompting experts to warn that people “shouldn’t be complacent” this year.
Authorities have warned that both influenza and COVID-19 could be circulating at the same time and are urging people who are eligible to get vaccinated against influenza.
The vaccination program has been expanded this year, which means that up to 30 million people in England will be eligible.
According to experts, those who are more susceptible to the effects of the flu are also at a higher risk of contracting COVID-19.
PHE Medical Director Professor Yvonne Doyle said the flu is an “extremely unpleasant condition”, and some Britons are wrong to think it is like a cold.
Emphasizing the flu can be fatal and that the vaccine is safe, he added: “If [flu and coronavirus], you are in serious trouble.
“The people who are most likely to get both infections may be the same people who can least afford it in terms of their own immune system or their risk of serious outcomes.
“Please protect yourself from the flu this year.”
Those eligible for the flu vaccine include elementary school children, people 65 and older, people with long-term health problems, and pregnant women.
