AUTHOR=Huang Qian , Xu Wen-Jie , Wang Xiao-Xiao , Zhang Xuan , Pan Ke-Nu , Zhang Jia-Qi , Chen Hua-Liang , Ruan Wei , Yao Li-Nong 

TITLE=SARS-CoV-2 and Plasmodium falciparum Co-Infection in a Returning Traveler

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 10 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2022.871374

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2022.871374

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Since December 2019, the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has become a non-neglectable context for the whole health care system. Under the background of COVID-19, the detection and diagnosis of malaria cases is under challenge. Here we reported a COVID-19 and malaria co-infection traveler who has a long living history in Cameroon. The case was administered with dihydroartemisinin piperaquine tablets for malaria, Lopinavir and Ritonavir Tablets, Arbidol, recombinant human interferon α-2b and Compound Maxing Yifei mixture for COVID-19, and Zolpidem Tartrate Tablets, Diazepam, Paroxetine Hydrochloride Tablets, Thymosin α1, and Lianhua Qinwen Jiaonang during her second hospitalization since she has a certain level of anxiety and insomnia with no evidence of inflammatory reactions. After being test-negative twice for SARS-CoV-2 in 48 hours, the patient met China's COVID-19 discharge standards and she discharged with stable vital signs and mental state. Since most countries in sub-Saharan region have a fragile health system, co-infection for both Plasmodium and SARS-CoV-2 may not be uncommon, and raise challenge in diagnosis, treatment and prevention for both diseases. We add to the literature on co-infection of P. falciparum malaria and COVID-19, and offering operational advice on diagnosis, prevention and treatment for the co-infection.