Between Malaria and Covid19

So much has been said about the pandemic called covid19, also known as coronavirus. It is almost as if everyone is coming to terms with the reality that the virus has come to stay with us for a while, pending the time that humanity will find a lasting solution to it in the form of a vaccine, if ever.

That being said, there has been a bit of confusion when it comes to the general symptoms of coronavirus and that of malaria, especially in a malaria-endemic area such as my country, here in Nigeria. In order to illustrate this confusion, below is a table comparing coronavirus and malaria symptoms:

Symptoms	coronavirus	malaria
Headache	+	+
Fatigue	+	+
Fever	+	+
Loss of taste	+	+
Loss of smell	+	?
Coughing/sneezing	+	?
Shortness of breathe/breathing difficulty	+	?

_{? = symptoms found in few patients only}

Looking at the table, one would see why it might be a bit difficult to distinguish between the two diseases based on the symptoms presented by patients only. This is exactly what my today's story is all about.

The beginning of it all

It all started when my wife came down with some mild malarial symptoms. I advised her to take the usual over-the-counter malaria drug since this is the usual trend in a malaria-endemic country such as ours and for those of us with AA blood genotype (we are more prone to malaria). She refused to take the advice but continued to lie down weakly around the house, hoping for the symptoms to naturally subside.

Unfortunately, the symptoms did not go away. She decided to visit one of the local clinics close to us in order to get a malaria diagnosis before taking a drug. It was a bit of a surprise when she was declared malaria-free but tested positive for being pregnant. Well, this is somewhat good news for us. Since then, her health seems to be back on track except that she complains of tastelessness of foods and the inability to perceive any smell. Both symptoms represent two of the major symptoms of coronavirus. Could it be that this is normal in some pregnant women as well? Perhaps.

A few days ago, last Wednesday to be precise, I also started developing mild malarial symptoms. As usual, I decided to wait for a few days to see if the symptoms will go away or I will need to take a malaria drug. The last time I treated malaria was about six months ago, hence, I have been due for a bout with malaria for a while (it is usually 3 to 4 months for those of us with AA genotype).

I proceeded on a pre-scheduled journey the following day with the symptoms still hanging over my head. I drove straight to a pharmacy from the journey and got a malaria drug (P-alaxin) because the symptoms got worse with the driving. I took the first dose of the drug on the evening of Thursday. My appetite has gone South by that time.

Day 2

I could not sleep throughout the night due to uneasiness associated with the fever. Malaria has never done me this way before. The following day, I had to force myself to stand up from the bed since I could not sleep, no matter how hard I tried. I felt very weak and had no appetite whatsoever. It was at this point I began to notice that I could not perceive any smell neither feel the taste of any food. I attributed all these symptoms as some of the side effects of the drug I am taking to tackle the supposed malaria.

Later in the evening, I took the second dose of the drug, albeit reluctantly. Either I complete the dosage or start all over again with another malaria drug. The former looked more appealing. The night came and this time around, I was able to get a little sleep, unlike the previous night.

Day 3

I felt better, was able to eat a bit but my sense of smell and taste seemed totally gone. I could not even smell shit ( I mean real shit). However, I was able to drive downtown in order to get groceries for the family. I made sure to stick a nose-mask on at every point in time. I also started getting a bit distant from my 18-months old toddler (who by the way now has dwindled appetite). I took the last dose of the malaria drug later in the evening and was able to get a relatively sound sleep at night.

Now

It has been four days now since I took the last dose of the malaria drug. Every other malaria-related symptoms seem to have disappeared but tastelessness and inability to perceive smells still persist. My wife who complained of these two symptoms earlier seems to have overcome her own challenges as normal activities resumed in the department of tasting and smelling of her body. I also hope that this would be the case as far as my own situation is concerned.

^{source: pixabay}

In all of these, I have never felt malarial symptoms this way. Wondering why I did not go for the covid19 test? Well, to start with, the nearest laboratory to me is about one hour drive from my crib and I was not really ready to take that journey. Secondly, even if I am covid19 positive, the symptoms are mild compared to what transpired in some other people. I would have been asked to self-isolate and manage myself at home.

Closing remarks

There have been reports of bouts of malaria that deprive people of their ability to taste as well as perceive smells and I eventually get to experience one. Whether it is malaria indeed, or it is covid19, we might never know. This just emphasized the fact that covid19 and malaria seem to have a lot in common. Coincidentally, hydroxychloroquine, a drug that is known primarily for its effectiveness against malarial symptoms has been touted as a potential drug to tackle covid19.

I personally believe that understanding the relationship between the two diseases might the key that humanity needs in order to successfully give coronavirus a good chase.

What do you guys think?

Resource

Chanda-Kapata, P., Kapata, N., & Zumla, A. (2020). COVID-19 and malaria: A symptom screening challenge for malaria endemic countries. International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 94, 151–153. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijid.2020.04.007