Co-infection between the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 and the influenza Type B in Isfahan, Iran

Heshmat-Ghahdarijani, Kiyan; Vaseghi, Golnaz; Nasirian, Maryam; Javanmard, Shaghayegh Haghjooy

BACKGROUND: Some studies have been reported the rates of co-infection between severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza virus in the different regions. In this study, we report the co-infection rates between SARS-CoV-2 and influenza type B in Isfahan, Iran. MATERIALS AND METHODS: All patients with a definite diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) from Isfahan COVID-19 registry (I-core) study were enrolled from February 2020. RESULTS: Of the 1639 laboratory COVID-19 confirmed in Isfahan province, only two persons were positive for Influenza B from Isfahan COVID-19 registry (I-core). Both patients were symptom-free after 3 months' follow-up. CONCLUSION: During influenza season, differentiating other causes of respiratory illness from COVID-19 is difficult, because common clinical manifestations of COVID-19 mimic those of influenza. It seems that evaluating for co-infection with different types of influenza viruses in patients with specific settings should be considered.