Brazil has been facing a dengue epidemic in recent months. Since January, 532,921 probable cases of the disease and 90 confirmed deaths have been recorded, according to the Ministry of Health. In parallel, cases of Covid-19 have also increased.
São Paulo, for example, recorded a 140% increase in the number of positive cases of coronavirus infection (from 168 at the end of January to 404 on the 4th). The data comes from the Info Tracker platform, developed by researchers from the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of São Paulo (Unifesp).
Given this scenario, it is essential to know how to differentiate the symptoms of dengue and Covid-19. Although both diseases have similar signs, there are characteristics that differentiate them. Making this distinction is extremely important for treatment, as some medications are contraindicated for dengue – and both infections can develop into serious conditions. Understand below.
Dengue and Covid: what are the differences?
Both dengue and Covid-19 can cause fever, body pain, lack of appetite and loss of taste. However, it is possible to find divergent characteristics between the two infections.
“Dengue’s main characteristic is high fever, above 38 ºC, intense myalgia caused by muscle and joint pain and something very characteristic, which is pain behind the eyes, especially during movement, although this symptom is not always present. in all cases”, says Silvana Barros, infectious disease specialist and head of the Epidemiology and Infection Control Service at the Mater Dei Health Network, to CNN .
Furthermore, dengue can also cause red spots on the body and, in more serious cases, lead to intense abdominal pain, bleeding in the mucous membranes, drop in blood pressure and hepatomegaly (enlarged liver). These are characteristics of dengue hemorrhagic fever, the most serious condition of the disease.
On the other hand, Covid-19 is characterized by respiratory symptoms, such as cough, sore throat and runny nose, especially in mild cases. In moderate to severe cases, persistent cough and fever, shortness of breath, respiratory discomfort and difficulty eating may occur, resulting in SARG (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome).
“When there is the absence of these respiratory symptoms and the presence of some characteristic signs of dengue, it is possible to distinguish between the diseases and conduct the diagnosis”, explains Silvana.
Tests are essential to differentiate the diagnosis
Knowing how to identify the symptoms of each disease can help differentiate the diagnosis, but confirmation is only done through laboratory tests. Both in the case of dengue fever and Covid-19, it is possible to carry out rapid tests, which identify the presence of the virus within 15 minutes.
It is also possible to diagnose diseases through the RT-PCR test, which allows the genetic material of viruses to be identified in respiratory secretion samples. It can be done between the 3rd and 5th day of symptoms of both diseases.
Another option is the serology test, which identifies the presence of antibodies in the blood to find out whether the body has developed an immunological response to the dengue and Covid-19 viruses. This test can be done after the 6th day of symptoms, in case of suspected dengue fever, or after the 10th day of symptoms, in the case of Covid.
Source: CNN Brasil
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