Flurona and the Future of Respiratory Virus Season

Flurona! What is it? Is it real? Is it the next superbug? Can someone be infected with the flu and COVID-19 at the same time? The term ‘flurona’ has been making the rounds in the news recently and has caused some confusion. Join us for this episode of Transmission Interrupted as NETEC’s Lauren Sauer and special guests Dr. Jared Evans and Dr. Aneesh Mehta discuss all things flurona. The discussion will touch on the impact Flurona has had this influenza season, current recombination events in the news, the future of respiratory virus season, and steps the healthcare community can take to help mitigate the impact of flurona during the ongoing pandemic.

Questions or comments for NETEC? Contact us: info@netec.org

Visit Transmission Interrupted on the web at https://netec.org/podcast/

Dr. Jared Evans, PhD

Dr. Jared Evans is a senior staff scientist whose expertise in virology includes over twenty years of experience in basic and applied research. He currently focuses on applications and response to investigate high-priority pathogens, including dengue and influenza viruses, with an emphasis on single-cell assays, genomics, and novel molecular tools. His responsibilities include leading projects in virology, molecular biology, and genomics and coordinating with partners to reach technical goals. Dr. Evans is also an assistant professor in the Department of Emergency Medicine in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Additional areas of expertise include microfluidics and molecular/synthetic biology.

Dr. Aneesh Mehta, MD, FIDSA, FAST

Aneesh Mehta is a Professor of Medicine and of Surgery at Emory University School of Medicine, and also serves as the Chief of Infectious Diseases Services and Assistant Director of Transplant Infectious Diseases at Emory University Hospital. He is a board-certified infectious diseases physician, who received an MD from the University of Oklahoma and completed Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases training at Emory University.

Aneesh has been one of the core physicians of the Emory Serious Communicable Diseases Unit (SCDU) since 2009. He was admitted physician for Emory’s first patient with Ebola Virus Disease and was highly involved in care of the four patients with EVD, one patient with Lassa Fever, and several PUIs cared for by the Emory SCDU. During the Ebola activation, Aneesh was involved in all aspects of unit management, patient care, laboratory handling, and research.

Aneesh is a co-Principal Investigator at NETEC. He also has been involved in the development of the Special Pathogens Research Network Biorepository and evaluation of Medical Countermeasures.

Lauren Sauer, MSc

Lauren is an Associate Professor in the College of Public Health, Department of Environmental, Agricultural, and Occupational Health, at the University of Nebraska Medical Center and Core Faculty of the UNMC Global Center for Health Security. She is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine in the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, and the director of the Special Pathogens Research Network.

She previously served as Director of Operations for the Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness where she ran the inpatient COVID19 biobank and served on the COVID19 research steering committee for JHU. Lauren’s research focuses on human subjects research in bio-emergencies and disasters, in particular, ethical implementation of research and navigating the regulatory environment. The goal of her research is to provide health care facilities with the tools needed to conduct a clinical and operational research response in emergencies.