Dengue and Covid: know how to differentiate the symptoms of the diseases – 02/16/2024 – Balance and Health

The number of dengue and Covid cases continues to rise in the country, influenced by the Carnival festivities and the return to school. The diseases have similar symptoms that can confuse those infected. Knowing how to differentiate them is important to avoid errors in treatment, especially when it comes to self-medication.

In both dengue and Covid, patients have a high fever and a feeling of tiredness that can be quite disabling, according to Leonardo Weissmann, infectious disease doctor at the Emílio Ribas Institute of Infectious Diseases and professor at the University of Ribeirão Preto (Unaerp). Diarrhea, in a minority of cases, may also appear.

Furthermore, both diseases can cause muscle pain and headaches. “This overlapping of symptoms can confuse both patients and healthcare professionals in the early stages,” says the expert.

There are also more characteristic symptoms of each disease. While dengue can cause pain behind the eyes and red spots on the skin, Covid can cause the patient to have respiratory problems, such as a dry cough and difficulty breathing. It is these more specific symptoms that the infected person must observe to differentiate one disease from another, according to Weissmann.

Other aspects that must be observed are the patient’s exposure history and the local epidemiological context. In other words, if he passed through crowded places or if he was in places where the mosquito Aedes aegyptiwhich transmits the dengue virus, could proliferate.

Accurate diagnosis of diseases can be obtained with specific tests, such as the RT-PCR for Covid and the NS1 rapid test or serology for dengue. According to the infectious disease doctor at Hospital São Luiz – São Caetano and professor at Universidade Cidade de São Paulo, self-diagnosis and self-tests can be dangerous, even in the case of a false negative. The ideal, for him, is for the person to seek health services and appropriate medical advice.

And the medication?

For the symptom of fever, common in both diseases, medications such as dipyrone and paracetamol are generally recommended due to their safety. On the other hand, Weissmann state that non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as ibuprofen, should be avoided, especially if dengue fever is suspected, due to the risk of bleeding. Other contraindications in this case are corticosteroids and aspirin.

Experts recommend that individuals with symptoms that indicate dengue or Covid seek medical advice. “Self-medication can be dangerous and can mask important symptoms, complicating diagnosis and treatment,” says Weissmann. “Early diagnosis and appropriate management are crucial for a good prognosis in both diseases.” The doctor also recommends rest and adequate hydration.

Since the beginning of the year, dengue cases have quadrupled, according to the Ministry of Health. Half a million people have already been recorded as being likely infected with the disease, while in the same period last year the number was 128,842.

The increase also happens with Covid, whose number of new weekly cases is above 36 thousand and 194 deaths as of February 8. The disease has not spread in this way since April 2023, according to Conass (National Council of Health Secretaries). In two weeks, São Paulo recorded a 140% increase in positive Covid cases.