Double trouble: Is there a link between Covid-19 and dengue? | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
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Double trouble: Is there a link between Covid-19 and dengue?

Hindustan Times, New Delhi | Byhindustantimes.com | Edited by Sparshita Saxena
Jun 06, 2020 10:00 AM IST

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)
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”.

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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.

Also read: 9,887 new Covid-19 cases in India in 24 hours, 294 deaths in highest single-day jump

“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.

Coronavirus cases across the globe are on a rapid rise with the tally now inching toward the 7 million mark. Nearly 4 lakh people have succumbed to death worldwide due to Covid-19 disease. In India, the number of coronavirus cases jumped to 236,657 on Saturday as per the data updated by the Ministry of Health. While 114,072 have recovered from the deadly contagion in India, 6,642 people have died due to the virus in the country.

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.

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