Flu and COVID-19 do not belong to the same virus family – Rappler

Influenza is caused by influenza viruses that belong to the Orthomyxoviridae virus family, while COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus that belongs to the Coronaviridae virus family

Claim: The virus that causes influenza (flu) and the virus that causes COVID-19 belong to the same virus family.

Why we fact-checked this: The post containing the claim has over 4,629 views on YouTube, as of writing.

Different families: According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), flu and COVID-19 are caused by viruses from different virus families. Studies published by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) said that flu is caused by an influenza virus under the virus family of Orthomyxoviridae, while COVID-19 is caused by the SARS-COV-2 virus from the virus family of Coronaviridae.

What this means: The difference in where flu and COVID-19 originate means:

Vaccine schedule: According to the US CDC, flu and COVID-19 vaccines could be given at the same time, and possible side effects are generally similar whether vaccines are given alone or with other vaccines.

However, the US CDC says that, although there is no harm in taking both flu and COVID-19 vaccines at the same time, the public should follow the recommended schedule for either vaccine. The US CDC also recommends the public to get the COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible and get the flu vaccine during the flu season.

According to the Philippine Department of Health, it is preferable to give flu vaccinations to Filipinos from February to June. Lorenz Pasion/Rappler.com

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Flu and COVID-19 do not belong to the same virus family - Rappler