Sars-cov-2 and denv co-infection: Diagnostic challenge and curse on overloaded health care system

Co-infection with dengue is posing a diagnostic challenge in dengue-endemic countries because of similar clinical symptoms & laboratory findings between COVID 19 and Dengue infection. This co-infection is a warning for dengue endemic regions to face the challenge of differentiating and managing two disease entities together as both show serological cross reactivity which can mislead the timely diagnosis and treatment and is associated with increased mortality. And if timely diagnosis is not made, it will spread the virus to other people as timely isolation will not be done.: Present study aimed to determine the prevalence of COVID-19 & dengue co-infection in a tertiary care centre and to compare the laboratory findings among patients of COVID-19, dengue and co-infection cases. : This cross-sectional study was conducted in the Department of Microbiology, SMSR, Sharda Hospital and University. : This cross-sectional study was done on COVID-19 positive patients and dengue positive patients over the period of four months. Nasopharyngeal/ oropharyngeal swabs were subjected to RT-PCR for COVID-19 infection and serum samples of the patients were used for performing rapid card test for dengue infection. : The statistical analysis was performed with SPSS Software (Statistical Package for Social Sciences) and presented in form of tables and graphs. P<0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Out of 45 cases with COVID-19 & DENV co-infection, age group 40-70yrs constitute 62.2% of cases. 24.4% (11 patients) out of 45 co-infection patients showed leucopenia. 62.2% (28 patients) out of 45 co-infection patients showed lymphopenia. 64.4% (29 patients) out of 45 co-infection patients showed increased levels of D-Dimer. 48.9% (22 patients) out of 45 co-infection cases developed thrombocytopenia. : In dengue-endemic regions like India overlapping out-breaks of dengue & COVID-19 infection, poses a challenge for accurate diagnosis & treatment because of similarities in clinical symptoms and laboratory findings.