ABSTRACT
@#Prior to COVID-19, dengue was an important public health problem in Malaysia. Due to the movement control order imposed by the Malaysian government to curb the COVID-19 transmission, a study predicted that mosquito-borne diseases would increase during lockdown and partial lockdown seasons. Thus, this study aims to determine the current situation of dengue incidence during the pre-COVID-19 pandemic (2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021). We compared the number of laboratory-confirmed cases in the pre-COVID19 year (2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020 and 2021). In addition to that, we characterized the clinical manifestation, dengue serotype and viremia levels of dengue patients that were admitted to the Hospital Cancelor Tuanku Muhriz. We found a significant decrease in the number of laboratory-confirmed cases between COVID-19 pandemic and the pre-covid period (p2020=0.064; p2021<0.001). In this study, we found DENV 4 serotype was the most common serotype in dengue patients admitted to our hospital. There was no significant correlation between DENV serotype/viremia level with clinical manifestation of dengue fever and dengue with warning signs. However, patients infected with DENV4 had the highest viral load compared to patients infected with other serotypes. We also found high viremia levels were significantly associated with the febrile phase.
ABSTRACT
@#Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 outbreak as a world pandemic on 12th March 2020. Diagnosis of suspected cases is confirmed by nucleic acid assays with real-time PCR, using respiratory samples. Serology tests are comparatively easier to perform, but their utility may be limited by the performance and the fact that antibodies appear later during the disease course. We aimed to describe the performance data on serological assays for COVID-19. Materials and Methods: A review of multiple reports and kit inserts on the diagnostic performance of rapid tests from various manufacturers that are commercially available were performed. Only preliminary data are available currently. Results: From a total of nine rapid detection test (RDT) kits, three kits offer total antibody detection, while six kits offer combination SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG detection in two separate test lines. All kits are based on colloidal gold-labeled immunochromatography principle and one-step method with results obtained within 15 minutes, using whole blood, serum or plasma samples. The sensitivity for both IgM and IgG tests ranges between 72.7% and 100%, while specificity ranges between 98.7% to 100%. Two immunochromatography using nasopharyngeal or throat swab for detection of COVID-19 specific antigen are also reviewed. Conclusions: There is much to determine regarding the value of serological testing in COVID-19 diagnosis and monitoring. More comprehensive evaluations of their performance are rapidly underway. The use of serology methods requires appropriate interpretations of the results and understanding the strengths and limitations of such tests.
ABSTRACT
Objectives: The aims of this study were to determine the seroprevalence of acute dengue in Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia [UKM] Medical Centre and its correlation with selected haematological and biochemical parameters
Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted from January to June 2015. A patient was serologically diagnosed with acute dengue if the dengue virus IgG, IgM or NS-1 antigen was reactive
Results: Out of 1,774 patients suspected to have acute dengue, 1,153 were serologically diagnosed with the infection, resulting in a seroprevalence of 64.9%. Dengue-positive patients had a lower mean platelet count [89 x 10[9]/L] compared to the dengue-negative patients [171 x 10[9]/L] [p<0.0001]. The mean total white cell count was also lower in the dengue-positive cases [4.7 x 10[9]/L vs. 7.2 x 10[9]/L; p<0.0001]. The mean haematocrit was higher in patients with acute dengue [42.5% vs. 40.0%; p<0.0001]. Likewise, the serum alanine transaminase level was also higher in patients with acute dengue [108 U/L vs. 54 U/L; p<0.0001]
Conclusions: Dengue is very prevalent in UKM Medical Centre as most patients suspected to have acute dengue had serological evidence of the infection. The platelet count was the single most likely parameter to be abnormal [i.e. low] in patients with acute dengue