In Mumbai, doctors have come across a handful of curious cases where COVID-19 patients have walked in with positive reports of dengue. As the monsoon is expected in 10 days, the COVID-dengue combination can make a tough challenge for doctors as both are viral diseases.

Infectious diseases specialist Dr Om Srivasatava, who is also a member of the state task force on COVID, said that he has three patients who are tested positive for both the viral diseases.

Physician Dr Pratit Samdani, Breach Candy Hospital, said that he has seen three patients with dengue-positive reports but displayed classic signs of COVID-19. Among them, there was an 82-year-old man, who had pneumonia, which is a classic COVID sign but got admitted for dengue. The doctor said that his son was confused when informed that he didn’t have dengue but was COVID-19 positive. The elderly man had bilateral pneumonia and was very breathless with no dengue symptoms at all. His RT-PCR and CT scan confirmed COVID-19. Also, the other two patients did not have any dengue symptoms. The typical symptoms of dengue are dropping platelets, typical retro-orbital pain or a splitting headache.

As per Dr. Samdani, there could be a “serological lap” in the two viral diseases, but excluding a few signs of fever and headache, it should not be very difficult to differentiate. Dengue patients will not have a sore throat or respiratory difficulty as chief complaint.

Source: ET Healthworld