A study by Brazilian researchers showed that people who had dengue are more likely to develop symptoms of covid-19, if they are contaminated by the disease. The research, released on the 6th, is based on the analysis of blood samples from 1,285 residents of the city of Mâncio Lima (AC), in the Amazon region.
The work, coordinated by the professor at the University of São Paulo (USP) Marcelo Urbano Ferreira, and financed by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp), was published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
“We report an increased risk of clinically apparent covid-19 among people in the Amazon region with previous dengue infection, with important implications for public health,” says the conclusion of the published survey.
The blood samples used in the study were collected at two points and compared: in November 2019 and November 2020. The material was subjected to tests capable of detecting antibodies against the four dengue serotypes and also against the new coronavirus.
“Through statistical analysis, we concluded that previous infection with the dengue virus does not alter the risk of an individual being infected with SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, it was clear that those who had dengue in the past were more likely to have symptoms once infected with the new coronavirus, ”said Vanessa Nicolete, a researcher at the Institute of Biomedical Sciences at USP, and one of the authors of the article.
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