How does COVID-19 differ from malaria?
How does COVID-19 differ from malaria?
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COVID-19 and malaria are two different diseases with different ways of being spread and caught. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, and humans become infected by mosquito bites. COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets that we inhale through our nose or our mouth. COVID-19 and malaria have been incorrectly linked for several reasons. Firstly, around the world, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria, received extensive news coverage because there were claims that the drug was effective against COVID-19. A few clinical trials and studies investigated hydroxychloroquine and found no evidence that the drug was effective against COVID-19. In some unfortunate cases, adverse events occurred in people taking this medication. Secondly, malaria and COVID-19 share some symptoms, although the list of COVID-19 symptoms currently grows and changes every day. Malaria symptoms usually appear 10-15 days after the infective mosquito bite and the first symptoms a patient feels are fever, headache, and chills. On the other hand, people infected with COVID-19 usually develop symptoms within 5 days and, in some cases, infected people never develop symptoms at all. Finally, there is a difference between fevers caused by malaria and those caused by COVID-19. Often malarial fevers are cyclical, reoccurring at predictable times based on which strain of malaria was contracted. In comparison, fevers caused by COVID-19 do not appear to occur in cycles. The most common COVID-19 symptoms are: fever, dry cough and tiredness. Less common symptoms include: aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes.
COVID-19 and malaria are two different diseases with different ways of being spread and caught. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, and humans become infected by mosquito bites. COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets that we inhale through our nose or our mouth. COVID-19 and malaria have been incorrectly linked for several reasons. Firstly, around the world, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria, received extensive news coverage because there were claims that the drug was effective against COVID-19. A few clinical trials and studies investigated hydroxychloroquine and found no evidence that the drug was effective against COVID-19. In some unfortunate cases, adverse events occurred in people taking this medication. Secondly, malaria and COVID-19 share some symptoms, although the list of COVID-19 symptoms currently grows and changes every day. Malaria symptoms usually appear 10-15 days after the infective mosquito bite and the first symptoms a patient feels are fever, headache, and chills. On the other hand, people infected with COVID-19 usually develop symptoms within 5 days and, in some cases, infected people never develop symptoms at all. Finally, there is a difference between fevers caused by malaria and those caused by COVID-19. Often malarial fevers are cyclical, reoccurring at predictable times based on which strain of malaria was contracted. In comparison, fevers caused by COVID-19 do not appear to occur in cycles. The most common COVID-19 symptoms are: fever, dry cough and tiredness. Less common symptoms include: aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes.
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What our experts say
COVID-19 and malaria are two different diseases with different ways of being spread and caught. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, and humans become infected by mosquito bites. COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets that we inhale through our nose or our mouth.
COVID-19 and malaria have been incorrectly linked for several reasons. Firstly, around the world, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria, received extensive news coverage because there were claims that the drug was effective against COVID-19. A few clinical trials and studies investigated hydroxychloroquine and found no evidence that the drug was effective against COVID-19. In some unfortunate cases, adverse events occurred in people taking this medication.
Secondly, malaria and COVID-19 share some symptoms, although the list of COVID-19 symptoms currently grows and changes every day. Malaria symptoms usually appear 10-15 days after the infective mosquito bite and the first symptoms a patient feels are fever, headache, and chills. On the other hand, people infected with COVID-19 usually develop symptoms within 5 days and, in some cases, infected people never develop symptoms at all.
Finally, there is a difference between fevers caused by malaria and those caused by COVID-19. Often malarial fevers are cyclical, reoccurring at predictable times based on which strain of malaria was contracted. In comparison, fevers caused by COVID-19 do not appear to occur in cycles. The most common COVID-19 symptoms are: fever, dry cough and tiredness. Less common symptoms include: aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes.
COVID-19 and malaria are two different diseases with different ways of being spread and caught. Malaria is spread by mosquitoes, and humans become infected by mosquito bites. COVID-19 is spread by respiratory droplets that we inhale through our nose or our mouth.
COVID-19 and malaria have been incorrectly linked for several reasons. Firstly, around the world, hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria, received extensive news coverage because there were claims that the drug was effective against COVID-19. A few clinical trials and studies investigated hydroxychloroquine and found no evidence that the drug was effective against COVID-19. In some unfortunate cases, adverse events occurred in people taking this medication.
Secondly, malaria and COVID-19 share some symptoms, although the list of COVID-19 symptoms currently grows and changes every day. Malaria symptoms usually appear 10-15 days after the infective mosquito bite and the first symptoms a patient feels are fever, headache, and chills. On the other hand, people infected with COVID-19 usually develop symptoms within 5 days and, in some cases, infected people never develop symptoms at all.
Finally, there is a difference between fevers caused by malaria and those caused by COVID-19. Often malarial fevers are cyclical, reoccurring at predictable times based on which strain of malaria was contracted. In comparison, fevers caused by COVID-19 do not appear to occur in cycles. The most common COVID-19 symptoms are: fever, dry cough and tiredness. Less common symptoms include: aches and pains, sore throat, diarrhea, conjunctivitis, headache, loss of taste or smell, a rash on skin, or discoloration of fingers or toes.
Context and background
Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites carried by female Anopheles mosquitoes. It's a disease that occurs in over 100 countries. Nearly half of the global population is at risk of malaria, disproportionately people in low- and middle-income countries. According to the latest World Health Organization's World Malaria Report, there were 228 million cases and over 400,000 deaths in a year, with most of the fatalities occurring in Africa.
With global attention currently focused on COVID-19, public health advocates are calling attention to other diseases that also need to be addressed during this time. For example, the Global Fund reports that a majority of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS programs may face disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent publication in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases raises specific concerns about screening challenges for countries with malaria, due to similarities of symptoms such as fever with COVID-19.
Malaria has also been linked to COVID-19 because of news coverage on hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria with its overuse contributing to the spread of chloroquine resistance across the world.
Malaria is a disease caused by Plasmodium parasites carried by female Anopheles mosquitoes. It's a disease that occurs in over 100 countries. Nearly half of the global population is at risk of malaria, disproportionately people in low- and middle-income countries. According to the latest World Health Organization's World Malaria Report, there were 228 million cases and over 400,000 deaths in a year, with most of the fatalities occurring in Africa.
With global attention currently focused on COVID-19, public health advocates are calling attention to other diseases that also need to be addressed during this time. For example, the Global Fund reports that a majority of malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS programs may face disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. A recent publication in the International Journal of Infectious Diseases raises specific concerns about screening challenges for countries with malaria, due to similarities of symptoms such as fever with COVID-19.
Malaria has also been linked to COVID-19 because of news coverage on hydroxychloroquine, a drug used to treat malaria with its overuse contributing to the spread of chloroquine resistance across the world.
Resources
- Coronavirus (WHO)
- Malaria (WHO)
- How COVID-19 is Affecting the Global Response to AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (The Global Fund)
- COVID-19 and Malaria: A Symptom Screening Challenge for Malaria Endemic Countries (International Journal of Infectious Diseases)
- 2019 World Malaria Report (WHO)
- Coronavirus (WHO)
- Malaria (WHO)
- How COVID-19 is Affecting the Global Response to AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (The Global Fund)
- COVID-19 and Malaria: A Symptom Screening Challenge for Malaria Endemic Countries (International Journal of Infectious Diseases)
- 2019 World Malaria Report (WHO)
