A study by Brazilian researchers showed that people with dengue fever were more likely to develop symptoms of Covid-19 when contaminated by the disease. The study published 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 Professor at the University of São Paulo (USP), Marcelo Urbano Ferreira, and funded by the São Paulo State Research Support Foundation (Fapesp), was published in the journal Clinical Infectious Diseases.
“We report an increased risk of clinically overt Covid-19 in people in the Amazon with a history of dengue infection with important public health implications.” says the conclusion of published research.
The blood samples used in the study were collected and compared at two points: in November 2019 and in November 2020. The material was subjected to tests with which antibodies against the four dengue serotypes and also against the new coronavirus could be detected.
“Through statistical analysis, we concluded that previous infection with the dengue virus did not change a person’s risk of contracting SARS-CoV-2. On the other hand, it was clear that those who had dengue fever in the past were more likely to have symptoms once they were infected with the new coronavirus. “ Vanessa Nicolete, a researcher at the USP Institute of Biomedical Sciences, told the Fapesp Agency and one of the authors of the article.