{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,5,11]],"date-time":"2026-05-11T23:20:26Z","timestamp":1778541626639,"version":"3.51.4"},"reference-count":37,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"5","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,23]],"date-time":"2024-08-23T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1724371200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Infectious Disease Reports"],"abstract":"<jats:p>COVID-19 and influenza are highly contagious respiratory viral diseases and priority global public health concerns. We conducted a retrospective observational study of COVID-19 and\/or influenza hospitalized cases, during 2023. We identified 170 influenza cases, 150 COVID-19 cases and 3 co-infections. Overall, 29.10% of patients had at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose and 4.6% received the seasonal Flu vaccine. The demographic data found older patients in the COVID-19 group and a higher index of the comorbidities, mainly due to chronic heart diseases, hypertension, and diabetes. Fever, chills, and rhinorrhea were more frequently related to influenza, while cough was prevalent in COVID-19. Antibiotics were more used in influenza than COVID-19, either pre-hospital or in-hospital. The mortality rate within the first 30 days from the onset of the respiratory infection was higher in influenza compared to COVID-19. We concluded that the COVID-19 clinical picture in hospitalized patients is changing to influenza-like symptoms. The evolution is variable, related to chronic comorbidities, but influenza had more frequent severe forms. All through 2023, due to poor vaccination rates, COVID-19 and influenza have continued to cause numerous hospitalizations, and a new strategy for efficient vaccinations is required.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/idr16050060","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,27]],"date-time":"2024-08-27T09:26:51Z","timestamp":1724750811000},"page":"783-793","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Comparative Epidemiological and Clinical Outcomes on COVID-19 and Seasonal Influenza Hospitalized Patients during 2023"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"16","author":[{"given":"Constantin-Marinel","family":"Vlase","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral Studies in Biomedical Sciences, \u201cDunarea de Jos\u201d University Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Military Hospital \u201cDr. Aristide Serfioti\u201d Gala\u021bi, 800008 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0626-2023","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mariana","family":"Stuparu Cretu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Medical Department, \u201cDunarea de Jos\u201d University Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Clinic Emergency Children Hospital, 800487 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Mihaela-Camelia","family":"Vasile","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral Studies in Biomedical Sciences, \u201cDunarea de Jos\u201d University Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Infectious Diseases Clinic II, Infectious Diseases Clinic Hospital Galati, 800179 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"George-Cosmin","family":"Popovici","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Doctoral Studies in Biomedical Sciences, \u201cDunarea de Jos\u201d University Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Pneumology Department II, Pneumophtisiology Hospital Galati, 800170 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-4762-0755","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Manuela","family":"Arbune","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Clinical Medical Department, \u201cDunarea de Jos\u201d University Galati, 800008 Galati, Romania"},{"name":"Infectious Diseases Clinic I, Infectious Diseases Clinic Hospital Galati, 800179 Galati, Romania"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,8,23]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","first-page":"100015","article-title":"The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on influenza, respiratory syncytial virus, and other seasonal respiratory virus circulation in Canada: A population-based study","volume":"1","author":"Groves","year":"2021","journal-title":"Lancet Reg. 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