ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026
Diagnostic challenges in COVID 19 and dengue co-infection: a case series report from tertiary care centers of Saudi Arabia.
Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: COVID-19 has changed the pattern of clinical diagnosis and laboratory confirmation for many communicable diseases making it essential for treatment procedures overburdening the health care system. Dengue and COVID-19, though caused by distinct viral pathogens, often present with overlapping clinical features, particularly in tropical and endemic regions. This overlap poses significant diagnostic challenges, especially during co-epidemics. Objective: To analyze the clinical presentation of patients suspected of dengue and/or COVID-19, and to highlight key similarities and differences that may assist in timely diagnosis and management. Methods: A retrospective case series of 50 patients admitted to multiple hospitals in a city in Saudi Arabia during a period of concurrent dengue and COVID-19 transmission was conducted. Patients were evaluated based on demographic characteristics, presenting symptoms, laboratory findings, and final diagnoses. Results: The mean age of patients was 39 ± 11.8 years, with 86% male and 14% female participants. Clinical overlap was considerable-fever, headache, myalgia, and rash were commonly reported in both infections. Notably, a cutaneous rash, classically associated with dengue, was observed in 36% of patients, including some confirmed COVID-19 cases. Misdiagnoses occurred due to atypical presentations, including a case initially diagnosed as dengue based on a petechial rash, later confirmed to be COVID-19. Co-infection cases exhibited more severe symptomatology and prolonged recovery. Most patients recovered after supportive management. However, co-infected patients demonstrated extended hospitalization and increased disease severity compared with mono-infected cases. Conclusion: This case series underscores the diagnostic complexity posed by the clinical similarity between dengue and COVID-19, particularly in endemic settings. Accurate and early differentiation through combined clinical and laboratory approaches is crucial to avoid misdiagnosis, ensure appropriate treatment, and reduce morbidity.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.