COVID-19 and Dengue co-infection in paediatric patients: An endemic in a pandemic

Abstract

Background: The clinical presentation and outcome of COVID-19 are likely to be complicated by co-infection with other endemic viruses  such as Dengue. This study aimed to investigate the occurrence of co-infections of SARS-CoV-2 and Dengue viruses in paediatric patients  from Osmania General Hospital, Hyderabad, Telangana, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study of 420 paediatric patients (aged 5-17 years) with febrile illness, consecutively recruited  from the hospital from June to November 2021. Serum samples were collected and tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and COVID-19  positive samples were further analysed for Dengue IgM antibodies by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Results: Of the 420  patients, serum samples of 109 (26.0%) were reactive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies. Of these, 13 were reactive for Dengue IgM antibodies,  giving a co-infection rate of 3.1% (1.9% females and 1.2% males). The three most common symptoms in the co-infected patients were  joint ache (myalgia) in 53.8% (75.0% in females, 20.0% in males, p=0.1026), fever in 46.2% (50.0% in females, 40.0% in males, p=1.000), and  rash in 46.2% (62.5% in females, 20.0% in males, p=0.2657).

Conclusion: These findings suggest that paediatric patients with COVID-19  may be susceptible to Dengue. Understanding the presence of multiple viral infections in paediatric patients is crucial for accurate  diagnosis, management, and prognosis. Further research is needed to explore the potential synergistic mechanisms of these co- infections.