key: cord-0710098-91rt4sb2
authors: Haqqi, Aleena; Awan, Usman Ayub; Ali, Muhammad; Saqib, Muhammad Arif Nadeem; Ahmed, Haroon; Afzal, Muhammad Sohail
title: COVID‐19 and dengue virus co‐epidemics in Pakistan: A dangerous combination for overburdened healthcare system
date: 2020-06-08
journal: J Med Virol
DOI: 10.1002/jmv.26144
sha: 0efe2a0801aae2eb938b5b69d794faf4cd8e8639
doc_id: 710098
cord_uid: 91rt4sb2

We have read recent articles regarding co‐epidemics/co‐infections of COVID‐19 and other infectious diseases (1‐4), these reports highlights the impact of co‐infections on the health care system. The recent pandemic of COVID‐19 caused by a novel severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus ‐ SARS‐CoV‐2 has taken 378K lives and has spread worldwide infecting over 6.3 million individuals. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

per year 8 . More number of dengue cases are reported in the rainy and summer season (April to March and then from August to October). Meanwhile, with an increase in respiratory system related complications also arising in this period of year, COVID-19 is yet to reach its peak during coming days in Pakistan. This temporal coincidence suggests that the two disease outbreaks might occur at the same time implying that it would have drastic effects on the population as well as the economy. In such conditions, public and private health sector departments must work together to overcome this health nemesis.

COVID-19 and Dengue fever are difficult to discriminate because they share clinical manifestations and laboratory features 9 . Some authors have discussed cases which were first wrongly diagnosed with dengue but later tested positive for COVID-19 10 . SARS-CoV-2 has a severe impact on world economy 11 and due to several potential un-notice transmission routes, it will test the health care system for a longer time 12 . Keeping in view This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

the fragile condition of Pakistan's healthcare system and the complex epidemiological scenario, Pakistan is at the brink of multiple socio-economic collapses. The lack of sufficient amount of specific diagnostic tests and late detection of virus might result in viral importation and difficult to stop it from spreading, leaving uncounted and undetected positive cases. The actual number of infections is suspected to be much higher than it is reported. Another grave concern is inadequate public healthcare infrastructure which is 

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