Dengue Virus Cases Surge Amidst COVID-19 in Pakistan: Challenges, Efforts and Recommendations

Zarmina Islam,1 Parvathy Mohanan,2 Wajeeha Bilal,1 Taleen Hashmi,1 Zainab Rahmat,1 Ikran Abdi,3 Mehr Muhammad Adeel Riaz,4 Mohammad Yasir Essar5 1Faculty of Medicine, Dow Medical College, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi, Pakistan; 2Medical University Sofia, Sofia, Bulgaria; 3Faculty of Medicine, Jinnah Sindh Medical University, Karachi, Pakistan; 4Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, Pakistan; 5Kabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, AfghanistanCorrespondence: Mohammad Yasir EssarKabul University of Medical Sciences, Kabul, Afghanistan, Tel +992 117118300, Email Yasir.essar@gmail.comAbstract: Pakistan is currently facing two outbreaks, dengue and COVID-19; both have strained its healthcare system resulting in multiple concerns including the co-diagnosis of two. Due to poor healthcare capacity, low vaccination rate, increasing COVID-19 variants, socioeconomic disparities, and misinformation, it is inevitable that implications will prove to be damaging to both healthcare workers and civilians. Among these challenges, it is important to note the need for stronger epidemiological surveillance for both COVID-19 and dengue and the implementation of public health measures without endangering sources of livelihood. To sustain this, cooperation between WHO and Pakistan’s government must continue through smart lockdowns, dengue awareness campaigns, and double laboratory procedures.Keywords: dengue, COVID-19, Pakistan, healthcare infrastructure