#PINNED: Dengue and COVID-19: How to tell them apart?

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The pandemic has taken a toll on everyone globally. Lives have been changed by the loss of loved ones, and a sudden shift of how to go about your routine. You can say that you won’t be going back to your old ways for quite some time.

Despite the number of vaccines pouring into the country, the stress of catching COVID-19 still lingers in our subconscious. As you worried about Covid during the blazing heat of summer, that now fades into just one of your problems as the pitter patter of the rain has signaled the beginning of mosquito season.

To know more about what you should be on the lookout for, here’s a guide on how to tell Dengue and COVID-19 apart, and what you’ll be needing for prevention and management.

Is there a difference between the transmission of Dengue and COVID-19?

Both Dengue and SARS-CoV-2 are viral illnesses. Some of their symptoms overlap, so it’s understandable that there tends to be an initial confusion with diagnosis, Dr. Ria Abesamis-Abaya, a licensed pediatrician of 24 years said. However, she stressed that despite both being viral diseases, their causes are very different.

It’s astonishing how doctors picked up facts on Covid so quickly and over a short period of time.

The Dengue virus requires a vector, a biting insect that transmits a disease. In this case, Dengue is carried by a mosquito. If a mosquito bites an infected patient, it sucks its blood with the virus, it then exits its body and enters the body of the second patient. That’s how the virus is transmitted, and the biggest comparison you can give, Dr. Abesamis-Abaya said.

COVID-19 is an entirely different scenario. It does not require a vector, but is caused by a more direct transmission through aerosol and droplets. This is the reason behind wearing a mask, so that the virus does not enter your nasal passages.

What are the common signs and symptoms of Dengue and COVID-19?

Looking at their characteristics, they can both present the following flu-like symptoms:

• Fever
• Tiredness
• Muscle pain
• Headache

Dengue and COVID-19 are generally subclinical. Patients can experience mild symptoms, and think they’re not sick. However, in a small group of people it can be fatal if not cared for.

When Dengue progresses, the most obvious manifestation for transitioning into a severe case is bleeding. Minor kinds of bleeding can occur from the nasal area (nose bleed), or from the gums, for example when brushing your teeth. You may also notice red spots on your skin, thinking it might be rashes, but is actually a minor case of bleeding under the skin, the pediatrician said. For severe cases, patients can experience massive internal bleeding in areas like the abdomen.

There are no signs of bleeding for COVID-19. Covid deals with the respiratory system of the affected patient. A person infected with the virus can experience persistent, unexplained, dry cough. There is also difficulty in breathing. These symptoms are not very common in Dengue, but can also happen. What’s prominent in Covid is the loss of taste and smell, which you will notice immediately.

How long does it take until you get Dengue or COVID-19 symptoms?

Both illnesses have the same timeline of when you begin encountering symptoms. What differs is the type of isolation. After a Dengue bite, you can count two to five days before you feel really sick. There are rare cases that take up to a week or more before symptoms appear.

This also applies to Covid. You can be exposed to a Covid positive patient, then after two to five days that’s when you’ll feel ill. Some patients experience symptoms on the eight day or eleventh day, so it really varies per case.

Since Dengue is not contagious, there’s no need to worry about infecting the people around you or the one who is taking care of you. With Covid, there is a need to cover up and isolate, because of its nature of person to person transmission.

What kind of Dengue and COVID-19 tests are available?

Due to the circumstances of the pandemic, if you feel unwell and opt to go to the emergency room, doctors will automatically test you for Dengue aside from the Covid protocol of an RT-PCR swab test.

Testing for Dengue will require you to take a blood and antibody test. This is to detect if your Dengue is Immunoglobulin M (IgM) for recent infection, Immunoglobulin G (IgG) for past infection, or to test the presence of Non-Structural Protein (NS1), which is secreted by infected mosquitoes.

The Covid test requires an RT-PCR or Antigen swab, or a saliva test, as the virus thrives in your nasal passages leading all the way down to your lungs. Viral protein and antibody tests are also available to check the presence of the Covid strain, and if you have developed some protection after infection.

What are the best practices to avoid catching Dengue this rainy season?

Dengue is dependent on the mosquito and its habitat. Therefore, the goal of dengue control is to destroy the mosquito’s habitat.

They thrive in dirty places where they can lay their eggs. Places where water is found like trash, receptacles, or even in between throw away tires. Swamps and urban areas also have more mosquitoes, because of the amount of trash present, making it a dirtier environment.

Avoiding Dengue is quite simple. If you clean your surroundings, there’s no trash, there’s no place for water to accumulate, therefore there’s no place for mosquitoes to lay their eggs.

Dr. Abesamis-Abaya said that because people have been cleaner, they’re indoors, especially during the pandemic, there has been a drop in Dengue cases.

You can’t control Covid that way. Covid is dependent on isolation to stop the spread of the virus. She said that the past few months have been difficult with the surge of cases, as the virus has been affecting thousands of people per day. Even much so, because the variants present now are even more transmissible.

So don’t forget, aside from covering up, always bring with you your new normal essentials to keep you safe and clean at all times.

How do you manage Dengue and COVID-19 patients?

It’s all about support. Like all viral illnesses, if you have fever, make sure to manage the fever. There are instances of dehydration so make sure to hydrate well, take your supplements, and eat and rest well. The same goes for Covid, the only difference is isolation, then eventually you’ll get better once your body is able to recover.

Managing severe cases is a different story. With Dengue, even before bleeding, there are signs that tell you to be admitted to the hospital. Doctors will know. They see that the patient does not look good, there’s tiredness, then opt to conduct a Complete Blood Count (CBC). This is to check patterns if the patient’s platelets are going down, the Hemoglobin Hematocrit is going up, and White Blood Cells (WBC) are going down—IV support will be advised as soon as possible.

Covid patients can do a CBC, but its diagnosis cannot foretell whether the patient is running a bad course or not. The patient profile always matters for Covid admission—if the patient is an eldery, with comorbidities, or is pregnant. There are also special cases where a patient only discovers severe infection after getting a chest x-ray.

What age groups are more likely to get affected by Dengue and COVID-19?

Unfortunately, you can get Dengue and COVID-19 at the same time, and it can target any age due to its unpredictable nature. Even the healthiest get hit by these viruses, and you can’t predict who will recover well and those who won’t.

As senior citizens stay indoors, it’s the population who leave the home that are affected by Dengue more. Children get it from school, while workers get it from the workplace.

Adults, on the other hand, are more likely to catch Covid. But as Filipinos, it’s in our culture to live in multi-generational households, therefore you have to protect your bubble no matter what age.

With positive cases growing daily, and the rainy season now in full swing, make sure to be more cautious with your surroundings, the people you come in contact with, and how you take care of yourself and your family.

You can always go back to this guide for help and early diagnosis, or even share it to someone close to you that needs it.

Stay safe and remember that we’ll get through this together.

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Aimee Lontok is a journalist who aims to create an escape for those who need a break from the real world and want to indulge in stories they want to read.