TITLE:
Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) Coinfection with Malaria in Selected States in Nigeria
AUTHORS:
Oluwagbemiga Olanrewaju Aina, Olufemi Samuel Amoo, Kazeem Adewale Osuolale, Adewale Kayode Ojogbede, Azuka Patrick Okwuraiwe, David Ayoola Oladele, Adesola Zaidat Musa, Tajudeen Akanji Bamidele, Celestina Onyinye Okoyenta, Abideen Olurotimi Salako, Toyosi Yekeen Raheem, Ifeoma Eugenia Idigbe, Fehintola Anthonia Ige, Joseph Ojonugwa Shaibu, Gregory Aigbe Ohihoin, Kikelomo Wright, Bisola Adebayo, Hussein Abdu-Razzaq, Abdulrahman Ahmad, Mustapha Imam, Bashir Bello Tambuwal, Muhammad Shuaibu Gobir, Richard Ikwuogu, Christian Tetsola, Gloria Patrick-Ferife, Nathaniel Enamuotor, Mildred Okowa, William Nwachukwu, Cornelius Ohonsi, Magdalene Egede, Chinwe Ochu, Ehimario Igumbor, Oliver Chukwujekwu Ezechi, Babatunde Lawal Salako, Rosemary Ajuma Audu
KEYWORDS:
SARS-CoV-2, Malaria, Coinfection
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Infectious Diseases,
Vol.14 No.2,
June
4,
2024
ABSTRACT: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and Plasmodium species are the causative agents of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and malaria respectively with similar clinical presentations. The objective of this study is to determine the burden of co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and malaria in the general population. Five (5 mLs) of blood samples were collected for SARS-CoV-2 and malaria parasite test. The malaria test was performed using a commercially available one-step malaria antigen Plasmodium falciparum histidine-rich protein 2 (Pf HRP-II) rapid test kit. The results of the study showed that the participants that were coinfected with SARS-CoV-2 IgG and malaria were 13 (2.5%) in Lagos, 1114 (39.1%) in Delta and 49 (2.3%) in Sokoto States. The prevalence of coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and malaria in urban areas in Lagos, Delta and Sokoto States were 7 (2.2%), 1373 (48.1%), and 5 (0.2%) respectively. In rural areas, the prevalence of coinfection of SARS-CoV-2 and malaria in Lagos, Delta and Sokoto States were 6 (0.3%), 365 (12.8%), and 44 (2.1%) respectively in this study. This suggests that participants in the urban areas were more prone to co-infections than the rural areas in Lagos and Delta states, while it was otherwise in Sokoto State. In conclusion, the co-infection of SARS-CoV-2 and malaria was very high in Delta State compared to the other States. It is important for clinics to screen for both diseases when patients present with symptoms of malaria. This is because the infections have similar symptoms and the public is quick to assume malaria infection without diagnosing for COVID-19 and vice versa.