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The symptoms of dengue and C-19

Published : Saturday, 17 July, 2021 at 12:00 AM  Count : 1337
ZUBAIR KHALED HUQ
Most people with dengue and COVID-19 have mild illness and can recover at home. Symptoms usually last a few days, and people tend to feel better after a week. However, both dengue and COVID-19 can cause severe illness that can result in death. The clinical management for people who develop severe illness with either of these two diseases is quite different, often requiring hospital-based care. Anyone of any age can develop severe illness with dengue or COVID-19. Both infections are more likely to cause complications in adults with underlying chronic conditions, such as diabetes and heart disease.

Dengue is caused by one of any of four related viruses: Dengue virus 1, 2, 3, and 4. For this reason, a person can be infected with a dengue virus multiple times in lifetime. Dengue viruses are spread through the bites of infected Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. COVID-19 is a respiratory illness caused by a coronavirus. It is unclear if antibodies created from a COVID-19 infection can provide protection against getting infected again.

The virus that causes COVID-19 is thought to spread mainly through respiratory droplets produced when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. People with COVID-19 have a wide range of symptoms ranging from mild to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. People with these symptoms may have COVID-19: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficult breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headache. Loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhoea is also symptoms of this disease.

Outbreaks of dengue fever are emerging in Bangladesh at a time when coronavirus infections and deaths are on the rise. This trend is still more prevalent in Dhaka city. A person can get COVID -19 and dengue fever at the same time. Although the symptoms are the same, there are differences. Some signs and symptoms those are similar to those of dengue fever and Covid-19 in the beginning. In that case, many patients are being tested for dengue fever and Covid-19 at the same time. We see, most dengue patients have fever, body aches, headaches and pain behind the eyes. Complicated cases of Dengue may have bleeding manifestations.

In both, dengue and COVID-19, cases there may be fever, sore throat, runny nose, cough and loss of taste. In the case of corona, the nose does not smell with these symptoms. Coronavirus can also cause respiratory problems, which is not the case with dengue fever.

In the case of dengue fever, after four-five days, there may be a rash like red allergy in the body. Then the level of platelets in the blood may decrease. Dengue fever can lead to 'shock syndrome' which is the cause of death of the patient. After seeing some signs the patient must be admitted to the hospital, like the patient is seen bleeding from the nose, or he is having black stools.

Both dengue and coronavirus cause initial symptoms of high body temperature. A few symptoms of the coronavirus infection and dengue fever overlap with each other. The most common symptom of both diseases is fever. Headaches, muscle and joint pains, and tiredness are some more overlapping symptoms of the two diseases. However, one can still tell both the diseases apart with the other symptoms. For instance, symptoms that are exclusive to dengue include vomiting, swollen glands, rashes, and vomiting. In case of severe dengue, the patient is likely to experience severe abdominal pain, persistent vomiting, rapid breathing, bleeding gums, fatigue, restlessness, and blood in vomit.

Instead of vomit, people infected with the Coronavirus experience diarrhoea. Initially, fever, cough and shortness of breath were the only reported symptoms of COVID-19. However, with time, various other symptoms have been added to the list. Some people infected with the Coronavirus may also not develop symptoms for a very long time. While some symptoms mix and others are exclusive to either disease, both diseases can be life-threatening and require medical attention for treatments. If the fever persists, and you experience any of the symptoms of either disease, you must visit a doctor. Since clinics and hospitals may not be accessible right now due to the pandemic, tele-consultations can be availed.

Researchers are working on dengue fever vaccines. For now, in areas where dengue fever is common, the best ways to prevent infection are to avoid being bitten by mosquitoes and to take steps to reduce mosquito breeding. Severe dengue fever is a life-threatening medical emergency. Seek immediate medical attention if you've recently visited an area in which dengue has occurred.

Some people become infected but don't develop any symptoms and don't feel unwell. Around 1 out of every 6 people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing. Some people may develop more severe forms of the disease, such as pneumonia.

What are the measures we are taking to prevent dengue? Aedes mosquitoes breed in stagnant water, which is responsible for dengue fever. The only way to prevent dengue fever is to prevent the spread of the Aedes mosquito. Risk factor for severe dengue includes second dengue infection. In most dengue-endemic countries, children and young adults are at highest risk for a second infection.

Patients with chronic medical conditions, including diabetes, asthma, or heart disease are under threat in both of the cases. Risks factors for severe illness with COVID-19 include underlying conditions like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, hypertension, prior stroke, liver disease, obesity, chronic lung disease, chronic kidney disease undergoing dialysis, undergoing cancer treatment, using corticosteroids.
Dr Zubair Khaled Huq, Family Medicine, Gerontology, Public Health Specialist







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