A leading infectious disease expert is reminding Australians to get booster vaccinations after confirmation people can catch both COVID-19 and the flu at the same time.
Health officials said a pregnant woman in Israel is believed to be the world's first instance of someone having both influenza and coronavirus.
Being touted "Flurona", the young woman tested positive for both viruses while a patient at Beilinson Hospital in Petach Tikva city on Thursday.
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It is understood she is suffering just mild symptoms so far, but experts are studying the case to determine whether the combination could cause stronger severity of illness.
Australian Former Deputy Chief Medical Officer, Dr Nick Coatsworth, said even in non-pandemic times people can be infected with more than one virus simultaneously.
"We don't always know whether that makes things more severe or not, but the message there, for pregnant women in particular, you're certainly at increased risk of going to hospital, going to intensive care and having an adverse outcome for your unborn child if you're not vaccinated," Dr Coatsworth told Today.
"So the critically important message from 'Flurona' is that we've got a vaccine for both COVID-19 and influenza and we should be taking them."
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Dr Coatsworth said with national case numbers continuing to rise - those figures can look alarming - but the strain on hospitals are what authorities are concerned about.
Although, Omicron cases are being admitted to hospital, Dr Coatsworth said the length of stay is shorter compared to those infected with the Delta variant.
"We know from South Africa, the United Kingdom and virtually everywhere around the world that the hospital length of stay, how long you actually have to be in hospital to recover from Omicron, is less," he said.
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"Staff are exhausted and it's hard - but there is a law in epidemiology that there will always be a curve and that means there will always be a downslope of the curve and like many other nations around the world, we will get there with Omicron as well."
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