COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana.
<h4>Background</h4>Malaria is a common and severe public health problem in Ghana and largely responsible for febrile symptoms presented at health facilities in the country. Other infectious diseases, including COVID-19, may mimic malaria due to their shared non-specific symptoms such as...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2024-01-01
|
| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298088&type=printable |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850081738552770560 |
|---|---|
| author | Issabella Asamoah Mildred Adusei-Poku Priscilla Vandyck-Sey Allen Steele-Dadzie Atta Senior Kuffour Albert Turkson Ivy Asantewaa Asante Kantanka Addo-Osafo Quaneeta Mohktar Bright Adu Yaw A Afrane Kwamena W C Sagoe |
| author_facet | Issabella Asamoah Mildred Adusei-Poku Priscilla Vandyck-Sey Allen Steele-Dadzie Atta Senior Kuffour Albert Turkson Ivy Asantewaa Asante Kantanka Addo-Osafo Quaneeta Mohktar Bright Adu Yaw A Afrane Kwamena W C Sagoe |
| author_sort | Issabella Asamoah |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | <h4>Background</h4>Malaria is a common and severe public health problem in Ghana and largely responsible for febrile symptoms presented at health facilities in the country. Other infectious diseases, including COVID-19, may mimic malaria due to their shared non-specific symptoms such as fever and headache thus leading to misdiagnosis. This study therefore investigated COVID-19 among patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at Korle-Bu Polyclinic, Accra, Ghana.<h4>Methods</h4>This study enrolled 300 patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms aged ≥18yrs. After consent was obtained from study patients, two to three millilitres of whole blood, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples, were collected for screening of Plasmodium falciparum using malaria rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and nested PCR, and SARS-CoV-2 using SARS-CoV-2 antigen test and Real-time PCR, respectively. The plasma and whole blood were also used for COVID-19 antibody testing and full blood counts using hematological analyser. SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing was performed using MinIon sequencing.<h4>Results</h4>The prevalence of malaria by microscopy, RDT and nested PCR were 2.3%, 2.3% and 2.7% respectively. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 by COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test and Real-time PCR were 8.7% and 20% respectively. The Delta variant was reported in 23 of 25 SARS-CoV-2 positives with CT values below 30. Headache was the most common symptom presented by study participants (95%). Comorbidities reported were hypertension, asthma and diabetes. One hundred and thirteen (37.8%) of the study participants had prior exposure to SARS CoV-2 and (34/51) 66.7% of Astrazeneca vaccinated patients had no IgG antibody.<h4>Conclusion</h4>It may be difficult to use clinical characteristics to distinguish between patients with COVID-19 having malaria-like symptoms. Detection of IgM using RDTs may be useful in predicting CT values for SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR and therefore transmission. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-32aeb98cbb1449e38afb142515ce22e2 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj-art-32aeb98cbb1449e38afb142515ce22e22025-08-20T02:44:40ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032024-01-01192e029808810.1371/journal.pone.0298088COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana.Issabella AsamoahMildred Adusei-PokuPriscilla Vandyck-SeyAllen Steele-DadzieAtta Senior KuffourAlbert TurksonIvy Asantewaa AsanteKantanka Addo-OsafoQuaneeta MohktarBright AduYaw A AfraneKwamena W C Sagoe<h4>Background</h4>Malaria is a common and severe public health problem in Ghana and largely responsible for febrile symptoms presented at health facilities in the country. Other infectious diseases, including COVID-19, may mimic malaria due to their shared non-specific symptoms such as fever and headache thus leading to misdiagnosis. This study therefore investigated COVID-19 among patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at Korle-Bu Polyclinic, Accra, Ghana.<h4>Methods</h4>This study enrolled 300 patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms aged ≥18yrs. After consent was obtained from study patients, two to three millilitres of whole blood, nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swab samples, were collected for screening of Plasmodium falciparum using malaria rapid diagnostic test, microscopy and nested PCR, and SARS-CoV-2 using SARS-CoV-2 antigen test and Real-time PCR, respectively. The plasma and whole blood were also used for COVID-19 antibody testing and full blood counts using hematological analyser. SARS-CoV-2 whole genome sequencing was performed using MinIon sequencing.<h4>Results</h4>The prevalence of malaria by microscopy, RDT and nested PCR were 2.3%, 2.3% and 2.7% respectively. The detection of SARS-CoV-2 by COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test and Real-time PCR were 8.7% and 20% respectively. The Delta variant was reported in 23 of 25 SARS-CoV-2 positives with CT values below 30. Headache was the most common symptom presented by study participants (95%). Comorbidities reported were hypertension, asthma and diabetes. One hundred and thirteen (37.8%) of the study participants had prior exposure to SARS CoV-2 and (34/51) 66.7% of Astrazeneca vaccinated patients had no IgG antibody.<h4>Conclusion</h4>It may be difficult to use clinical characteristics to distinguish between patients with COVID-19 having malaria-like symptoms. Detection of IgM using RDTs may be useful in predicting CT values for SARS-CoV-2 real-time PCR and therefore transmission.https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298088&type=printable |
| spellingShingle | Issabella Asamoah Mildred Adusei-Poku Priscilla Vandyck-Sey Allen Steele-Dadzie Atta Senior Kuffour Albert Turkson Ivy Asantewaa Asante Kantanka Addo-Osafo Quaneeta Mohktar Bright Adu Yaw A Afrane Kwamena W C Sagoe COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana. PLoS ONE |
| title | COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana. |
| title_full | COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana. |
| title_fullStr | COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana. |
| title_full_unstemmed | COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana. |
| title_short | COVID-19 in patients presenting with malaria-like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in Accra, Ghana. |
| title_sort | covid 19 in patients presenting with malaria like symptoms at a primary healthcare facility in accra ghana |
| url | https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article/file?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0298088&type=printable |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT issabellaasamoah covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT mildredaduseipoku covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT priscillavandycksey covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT allensteeledadzie covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT attaseniorkuffour covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT albertturkson covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT ivyasantewaaasante covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT kantankaaddoosafo covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT quaneetamohktar covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT brightadu covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT yawaafrane covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana AT kwamenawcsagoe covid19inpatientspresentingwithmalarialikesymptomsataprimaryhealthcarefacilityinaccraghana |