Double trouble: Is there a link between Covid-19 and dengue?

A Lancet report published in March states that dengue and Covid-19 are difficult to distinguish because of their “shared clinical and laboratory features”.

With the monsoon season setting in and the threat of viral, bacterial and vector-borne infections raising its ugly head, Mumbai has reported incidents wherein Covid-19 positive patients have also tested positive for dengue.

The research further emphasised the possibility of serious health implications on failing to determine Covid-19 positive case because of a positive dengue rapid test result. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

A Lancet report published in March states that dengue and Covid-19 are difficult to distinguish because of their “shared clinical and laboratory features”.

The report enumerated an example wherein two patients in Singapore with false-positive results from rapid serological testing for dengue were later confirmed to have severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection - the causative virus of Covid-19.

The research further emphasised the possibility of serious health implications on failing to determine Covid-19 positive case because of a positive dengue rapid test result.

“Our cases highlight the importance of recognising false-positive dengue serology results (with different commercially available assays) in patients with Covid-19. We emphasise the urgent need for rapid, sensitive, and accessible diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2, which need to be highly accurate to protect public health,” the report stated.

According to Johns Hopkins University’s global Covid-19 tally, India has overtaken Italy to climb to the sixth spot with the highest number of Covid-19 cases. The US, Brazil, Russia, Spain and the UK are the top five countries with most coronavirus cases worldwide.