Nagpur: With sporadic cases of dengue and viral infections surfacing, medical colleges and private hospitals have observed that several patients are exhibiting corresponding symptoms like fever with chills, drop in platelets, breathlessness, infected lungs but confirming only for other disease.
For example, dengue patients have tested RT-PCR negative but had low CT scan score, and breathlessness. On the other hand, Covid patients are complaining of body and joint pain and fever with chills which are symptoms mainly associated with dengue, malaria or typhoid.
Doctors feel this may be confused with only dengue or Covid and advised physicians to also look for complete investigation.
GMCH medical superintendent Dr Avinash Gawande last week found many patients having fever with chills but they were only Covid positive.
Dr Hema Dhoble, head of Covid Unit at Suretech Hospital, Jamtha, said in some patients platelet too is down though they tested negative for dengue. “We are testing such patients for dengue too just to rule it out as fever chills is associated with dengue too,” she said.
Dr Dhoble also found a strange case which showed all symptoms of Covid but tested positive for dengue only. “One patient from Madhya Pradesh exhibited complete signs of Covid. Her HRCT scan score was pretty low indicating infected lungs, had fever, and was breathless. But her RT-PCR report was negative and she was shifted to non-Covid ward. Patients in rural areas in Central India are at risk as such thorough diagnosis may be missed,” she said.
She citied another example of a mother-son duo from Wani. “They were RT-PCR positive but platelet count was low and had fever with chills,” she said.
These conditions are result of injudicious use of paracetamol and antibiotics, doctors say.
“When these patients see a doctor, they had already started paracetamol (dolo) to suppress fever. So fever remains mild, while infection goes unnoticed. Hence, there should not be a situation where we are treating Covid and missing dengue or vice versa,” she said.
Axon Hospital director and critical care physician at OCHRI Dr Santosh Dhole said fever with chills can’t b called a new symptom. “Fever is one of Covid symptoms. It is possible a patient of either dengue, malaria, or urinary tract infection is also infected with Covid. We too have been observing patients who are Covid positive with platelets count on the lower side,” he said.
Consulting pulmonologist at Kingsway Dr Vikram Rathi said any viral infection can cause drop in platelets although other causes of the drop should be evaluated. “Nowadays invariably every patient is getting tested for Covid. If the drop in platelets is not explained by Covid purely, than we investigating for other causes like dengue. Yet, both Covid and dengue infection have also been found out to be coexisting in few patients. For high risk patients, it is a deadly combination,” he said.