• Dengue and COVID-19 can have similar clinical presentation and laboratory findings and it becomes important to differentiate between the two in areas where arboviruses are prevalent.
• Verduyn and colleagues published a case report in PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases to draw attention to co-existence of dengue and COVID-19 infection in a patient.

• Differentiating between dengue fever and COVID-19 may be challenging.
• This patient’s symptoms were in line with dengue, with prolonged fever, erythema, generalized body ache, myalgia, arthralgia, retro-orbital eye pain, photophobia, rubeoliform exanthema, and headache.
• However, some of these may be also consistent with COVID-19 presentation.
• Thrombocytopenia and elevated liver enzymes have been reported in both the conditions.
• In tropical areas, COVID-19 and dengue infection coexist. Hence, making a clinical distinction between the skin symptoms may be difficult.
• In this patient, the rounded islands of sparing were more specific for dengue.

In areas where both the infections can co-exist, patients should be tested for both the viruses.

Reference

Verduyn M, Allou N, Gazaille V, et al. Co-infection of dengue and COVID-19: A case report. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 14(8): e0008476.