A Covid-19 patient can also be infected by dengue virus. These kinds of cases are already been happened recently in different countries like Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, India etc. In Bangladesh,a 58 yrs. old man from Chattogram who died of dengue was also infected with corona virus (Covid-19). Before death, he was undergoing treatment for both of dengue and Covid-19 in Chittagong General Hospital. Again, public relation officer (PRO) of the home ministry who is fighting against corona and dengue virus together, is being treated at home now. It is known that he was infected with dengue at first and then his Covid-19 test was positive. The fact behind the reason is dengue season has arrived during the rising coronavirus pandemic in our country. This simultaneous infection would be co-infection of corona and dengue virus that need to confirm through proper diagnostic test.
Dengue and corona (SARS-nCOV-2) are different viruses. The first is caused by the flavivirus, while the other by coronavirus. Though initial symptoms are similar, the distinction can be made as the disease progresses. In fact, the symptoms of these viral diseases begin with fever. The symptoms also include body aches, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and tiredness. In specific, dengue symptoms include severe headaches, body aches, pain behind the eyes and body rashes. Even it is not unnatural for dengue to be accompanied by a cough because dengue symptoms change a bit every year. Moreover, there is a possibility of vomiting and diarrhoea as dengue symptoms.
Therefore, it is confused and difficult not only for patent but also for health professionals to distinguish between dengue and Covid-19, as the primary symptoms are common to both.Typically, the clinical and laboratory features of both Dengue and the Covid-19 disease is quite identical and difficult to distinguish.
Moreover, the complicated fact is Covid-19 patients can produce false-positive results for dengue from rapid serological test. A report (https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(20)30158-4) has published recently in international medical journal ‘The Lancet’ on this matter. The reportdescribes about two patients from Singapore with false-positive results of dengue from rapid serological test, who were later confirmed to have coronavirus infection (COVID-19). In one of the case studies, a patient with three days of fever and cough was referred to a regional hospital from where he was discharged after being treated for dengue.
When the fever persisted, cough and dyspnoea (breathing difficulty) were worsening that led to corona positive in test. The report concludes with the warning that failing to consider Covid-19 because of a positive dengue rapid test result has serious implications for the patient and for public health. Scientists in this study have discovered new symptoms of Covid-19, where the patient is suspected of suffering from dengue fever. There were false-positive dengue results in patients with Covid-19. Those with dengue typically have a fever and a rash, but unlike Covid-19 patients, they do not have such respiratory symptoms as a runny nose, cough, or sore throat.
This is, indeed, a worrying news that Covid-19 and dengue has been occurredtogether for the same patient. We are now struggling with Covid-19, if dengue is added with it the situation will be more terrible. Therefore, we should alert more and take proper step on this matter. We should emphasize for rapid, sensitive, and accessible diagnostic tests for Covid-19 and dengue, which need to be highly accurate to protect our health. Proper diagnostics even in poorer countries with inadequate equipment and test-kits is critical as early detection and treatment of the Covid-19 disease is important to maintain low mortality rates.
(Dr. Md. Asaduzzaman Miah is Associate Professor, PSTU, Bangladesh Visiting Scientist, AMCD, Florida, USA)
