Educational Material about Influenza Viruses

Abstract

To supplement a special edition of the journal Viruses, entitled “What’s New with Flu?”, influenza virus researchers have worked together to generate simple educational material to communicate their science to school students. Educational materials suitable for a range of ages are included, from coloring exercises for younger students through to explanations of cutting-edge science in straightforward language for older students. This article contains a handout with influenza facts, a coloring page, a glossary and word find and a connect-the-dots exercise explaining the ideas behind recently published scientific papers. Together, these materials are intended to make research on influenza viruses more accessible to students and teachers.

Viral coinfections in COVID‐19

“…Nevertheless, coinfection with influenza A and B viruses might enhance the incidence of COVID‐19 76,77 . ARDS is one of the primary respiratory sequelae of SARS‐CoV‐2, influenza A (H1N1 and H3N2) and influenza B infection, which have resulted in major pandemics through the last century 77‐79 . Due to the similarities between the clinical manifestations of SARS‐CoV‐2 and the influenza virus, coinfection of these two viruses may potentially disrupt the patient response to therapeutic agents for either infection, thus a simultaneous diagnosis of these viruses is necessary to provide effective care 78 …”

mSphere of Influence: Redefining an Influenza Virus—How Different Are Influenza Viruses and Extracellular Vesicles?

“…A graphical coloring page based on the data presented by Hutchinson et al (1) is freely available from Art Goes Viral (https://www.gla.ac.uk/media/media_531204_en.pdf) or in reference 10 and is a visual representation of how the architecture of an influenza virion has changed.…”

Automated multiplex nucleic acid tests for rapid detection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B infection with direct reverse-transcription quantitative PCR (dirRT-qPCR) assay in a centrifugal microfluidic platform

“…1 Apart from this, global circulation of inuenza virus type A, such as H1N1, H3N2, and type B, with symptoms very similar to COVID-19, are the primary causative agents of human acute respiratory disease and several pandemics in the last century. [2][3][4] The annual inuenza peak causes around 670 000 deaths worldwide. The World Health Organization (WHO) stressed the urgent need for tools, such as affordable point-of-care testing, to detect inuenza for better prevention and control in a country-level approach and to serve in pandemic preparedness.…”