People who recover from dengue are more likely to experience long-term health complications a year later compared to those who had COVID-19, according to a nationwide study led by Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore).
The study found that individuals who had dengue face a 55% higher risk of heart complications, including irregular heartbeats, heart disease, and blood clots, compared to those who recovered from COVID-19.
Researchers analyzed tests and medical records of 11,707 dengue patients and 1,248,326 COVID-19 patients (including those with Delta and Omicron variants) in Singapore between July 2021 and October 2022. The study focused on new heart, neurological, and immune system issues that emerged between 31 and 300 days after infection. The simultaneous circulation of dengue and COVID-19 during this period provided a unique opportunity for comparison.
Published in the Journal of Travel Medicine in July 2024, this study is the first to investigate the long-term risk of multiple health complications following dengue infection and to compare these risks with those faced by COVID-19 patients after recovery.
The study was conducted by researchers from NTU’s Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (LKCMedicine), the Ministry of Health, Singapore General Hospital, the National Centre for Infectious Diseases, and the National Environment Agency. Assistant Professor Lim Jue Tao, who specializes in Infectious Disease Modelling at LKCMedicine and led the study, said, “We were motivated to conduct this research due to the expanding reach of dengue as a result of climate change. Dengue is one of the most common vector-borne diseases worldwide, and long-term health issues from dengue can significantly increase healthcare burdens for both individuals and countries.”
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Statistical analysis revealed that dengue patients are at greater risk of long-term health issues compared to COVID-19 survivors. Specifically, dengue patients had a 55% higher risk of heart complications, a 213% higher risk of cognitive or memory disorders, and a 198% higher risk of movement disorders than COVID-19 patients.
The comparison of these health risks between dengue and COVID-19 patients provides valuable insights into the need for post-recovery care and healthcare planning. The study also highlights the increased percentage risk of developing specified heart or neurological complications within 300 days of a dengue diagnosis compared to a COVID-19 diagnosis.
For example, the study found that 0.9% of dengue patients (101 out of 11,166) developed new heart complications such as dysrhythmia, ischemic heart disease, and thrombotic disorders, compared to 0.5% of COVID-19 patients (6,494 out of 1,206,208). Dengue patients also had a 213% higher risk of cognitive and memory disorders (0.3% of dengue patients compared to 0.1% of COVID-19 patients) and a 198% higher risk of new movement disorders (0.2% of dengue patients compared to 0.1% of COVID-19 patients).
Commenting on the study, Professor Kwok Kin-on, an infectious diseases epidemiologist at The Jockey Club School of Public Health and Primary Care, Chinese University of Hong Kong, emphasized the study’s importance. He stated, “This research provides the first comprehensive comparison of post-recovery health issues between dengue and COVID-19 patients, offering valuable insights for healthcare planning and patient management. The findings also highlight the need for increased vigilance and targeted interventions for those recovering from dengue to reduce long-term health impacts.”
However, the researchers acknowledged some limitations of the study, such as its focus only on adults aged 18 and older, making it inapplicable to pediatric populations. The study also did not account for individual susceptibility to COVID-19 and dengue, influenced by genetic, behavioral, or environmental factors.
In future research, the team plans to examine the risk of long-term health complications across different dengue serotypes (variants) and assess the economic costs associated with these complications.