Short Report - Special Collection: COVID-19

Coronavirus-19 and malaria: The great mimics

Tapiwanashe Kusotera, Trust G. Nhengu
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine | Vol 12, No 1 | a2501 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/phcfm.v12i1.2501 | © 2020 Tapiwanashe Kusotera, Trust G. Nhengu | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 29 April 2020 | Published: 05 August 2020

About the author(s)

Tapiwanashe Kusotera, Department of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe, Harare, Zimbabwe
Trust G. Nhengu, Musiso Hospital, Masvingo Province, Zimbabwe

Abstract

The use of SARS-CoV-2 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) kits by some African countries for screening has raised serious concerns over their role in malaria areas. Coupled with a lack of adequate personal protective equipment and the scarcity of knowledge on the possible interaction between malaria and COVID-19 both in terms of presentations and shared symptoms, this has left many frontline health workers with fears and anxieties. Several anecdotal reports have already raised questions pertaining to possible false-positive COVID-19 results in proven malaria cases by use of SARS-CoV-2 RDT kits with huge costs to already constrained budgets. The report raises concerns on the use of SARS-CoV-2 kits in malaria areas in terms of cost, to prompt research, allay fears and guide policy during this pandemic and beyond.

Keywords

COVID-19; Coronavirus; malaria; SARS-CoV-2 RDT kits; screening

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