Twindemic is a word used during the COVID-19 pandemic, directing to the possibility of a severe flu season happening alongside an increase in cases of COVID-19 during the fall and winter of 2020 and 2021. An outcome of a twindemic may be a combination of two different infections in the same person at the same period. The term twindemic is a portmanteau of "twin" and "pandemic".
The term 'Twindemic' first appeared in August 2020 in a New York Times article. In January 2022, Israel reported, for the first time, a mixture of COVID-19 and influenza infections, colloquially known as "flurona". Thus, proving that Twindamic is the synonym of "flurona"
As reports of flurona increased in early 2022, health officials and reporters began discussing the possibility of a twindemic - or dual pandemic. This slang term is not specific to covid or any other disease and can be used to describe any double-pandemic situation. However, in 2022, twindemic was used specifically to discuss the likelihood of a flu pandemic coinciding with the already-ongoing covid pandemic.
The flu returned with a vengeance in early 2022. Thus, many countries' already-overwhelmed hospitals began having to treat flu patients in addition to covid patients. This led to discussions, in news articles and on social media, of the covid pandemic being joined by a flu pandemic, to create a twindemic.
Viruses exist to thrive. Those that infect humans are faced with an impressive array of defensive weaponry, not just our natural adaptive immunity but also our intelligently designed defences—vaccines, drugs and social controls. For a virus to survive, it must be adapted to its chosen ecological niche—in this case, us—and capable of further intricate adaptation to overcome our best efforts at prevention and treatment.
Initially, many assumed that coronaviruses in general and SARS-CoV-2, in particular, were more stable and less prone to adaptation than other RNA viruses because of their error-proofing mechanisms. But we have since been proven wrong. Last summer, a researcher in Texas noticed that a mutated SARS-CoV-2 virus with a substitution in the spike protein had overtaken previous forms to become the dominant strain. Since then, multiple new variants have emerged with mutations that can make the virus more transmissible, more lethal and more able to evade our immune defences.
But there is another theory that I thought of: which is that Covid might just be evolving from flu, it might be just a branch of flu: This time, the culprit is a coronavirus, but is it correct or helpful to think of the disease as “a type of ‘flu”?
Well in "Virology" Both influenza and coronaviruses have a single strand of RNA as their genome, but that is where the genomic similarity ends. The influenza virus genome comprises 7 or 8 segments, while the coronavirus has one long strand. Influenza virus RNA is what is known as ‘negative sense RNA’. This means that its sequence is the mirror image of the correct code for proteins and a complementary strand must be made from it before the production of new viruses within a host cell can proceed. In contrast, the coronavirus genome is ‘positive sense’ which means it can act as messenger RNA and code for proteins.
Ultimately we see that "Virology" doesn't support our appeal, our hypothesis and our argument, but Covid has similar symptoms to Influenza: The clinical symptoms during the initial stages of COVID-19 are similar to those experienced by people with influenza. The key features are a fever (over 37.8°C) and a persistent dry cough. Patients also report lethargy, aching, sore throat, headache and diarrhoea. Most people with either influenza or COVID-19 will have some or all of these symptoms. In both infections, the majority of people will feel really ill for 1 to 2 weeks and then start to get better. Due to the effects of the virus on the body, feeling tired for a few more weeks and with a low mood (‘ post-viral syndrome’) is quite common. This does not last in the majority of cases and full recovery would be expected.
Although the delta continues to be highly transmissible, easing of restrictions has resulted in increased mixing within populations across the world. Consequently, approaches to social distancing and mask-wearing are unlikely to increase rates of transmission.
Moreover, low influenza infections in 2020 have resulted in reduced immunity for the subsequent year, and the production of an efficacious vaccine has been difficult. Together, increased rates of transmission are expected due to increased exposure to more virulent strains of influenza.
To date, there has been an increase in respiratory syncytial virus, regular coronavirus, and rhinovirus infections that were thought to be related to measures to protect against COVID-19. This forewarns an increased number of influenza infections over the 2021 winter.
Now, in conclusion, we state that "Virology" doesn't support our appeal, our hypothesis and our argument, but Covid having similar symptoms to Influenza may indicate something that they both are the same thing: one just more evolved...
If they both are the same then we shouldn't have a word called Twindemic, But alternatively, Twindemic can be used to describe any other two Pandemics growing at the same time.
In this dystopian reality, there are rumours spreading all over the world about viruses, and due to the freedom of speech everyone can share their opinions, it doesn't matter if they are true or not; just to counteract the true fact they are put out there.
"My advice to you is that just believe pure science, nothing else that negates it!"
Regards,
Shehryar Zeeshan.
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