What Are the Risks for Malaria Patients During Covid-19?

Impact of Malaria

Malaria is one of the widespread endemic diseases, which leads to illnesses in nearly 230 million people and even kills 4.30 lakh individuals every year. For the last 2 decades, the Ministry of Health (MoH), National Malaria Control Programmes (NMCPs), health facilities, district health offices, Community Health Workers (CHWs), etc. have performed their best to prevent malaria by adopting various preventive measures. And the progress is evident in our communities.

Presently, there are affordable and effective options for the prevention and control of malaria. Highly effective drugs and tests that help clear out parasites are utilised in health facilities and communities. CHWs and trained health staff offer great interventions for the control of malaria and to prevent malaria during monsoon. Together, such great assets have resulted in considerable success in lowering mortality and morbidity of malaria.

As per the 2020 World malaria report, there have been 1.5 billion malaria cases averted since 2000, 7.6 million malaria-related deaths averted since 2000. There have been 229 million new malaria infections in the year 2019 and 409000 people died of malaria in 2019.

Impact of COVID-19

The rapid spread of COVID-19 throughout the globe led to an extreme global disturbance. It has adversely impacted people's lives and well-being. There is remarkable work underway to discover more effective tests to identify those who are infected, and to avail preventive and treatment-related tools to prevent the spread of infection.

Measures to control the spread of infection from one individual to another include restricting social movement, regular handwashing, maintaining physical distancing, and using PPE kits in high-risk setups.

When taking such measures, we must not avoid other deadly diseases like malaria. We do have an idea that the current outbreak of Ebola in West Africa led to a rapid increase of demand on weak health services, which resulted in a considerable increase in mortality and morbidity from other diseases, including malaria.

Do Symptoms of Malaria and COVID-19 Overlap?

COVID-19 and malaria may have the same presentation, as both share some common symptoms including fever, fatigue, acute headache, and breathing issues. This might result in misdiagnosis of malaria for coronavirus and vice versa, especially when the clinician depends majorly on symptoms.

COVID-19 disrupts the continuity of the Population Services International and the Global Malaria Community like Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention (SMC) and insecticide-treated nets distribution. Malaria treatment and testing are also disturbed owing to the major risks witnessed by health workers catering to healthcare services during the pandemic.

Both COVID-19 and malaria have already resulted in the deaths of millions. Malaria-endemic regions are at a higher risk of facing the consequences of COVID-19 due to their mutual side effects. Also, generic and similar symptoms make it tough to obtain an immediate diagnosis.

Ways to Detect Malaria and Tell It Apart From COVID-19

The role of health experts and primary care providers is crucial to prevent malaria in the monsoon. Patients with symptoms like fatigue, fever and headache must go for both COVID-19 and malaria tests. To prevent malaria in the rainy season, keep the area clean. If there is any stagnant water around, clear it immediately. Use malaria repellant regularly, and also keep yourself covered to not let the mosquitos bite you.

As per the latest WHO recommendations, in challenging situations owing to COVID-19 such as healthcare workers' absenteeism, supply chain disruption, personal protective equipment shortages, etc., MoHs and NMCPs should ensure to put in every effort to control malaria and other endemic diseases. Also, they must take special measures to prevent malaria in the rainy season.

Those with COVID-19 symptoms with a negative result for malaria should undergo isolation for excluding COVID-19 till the repetition of the virological sample and lower the potential risk of any transmission. Even while the COVID-19 outbreak might not happen in malaria-prone regions, the WHO has called for the ministries of national malaria control and health to ensure that the malaria precautions do not get disrupted while witnessing the coronavirus response.

How to Beat Diseases Like Malaria and COVID-19?

To deal with endemic diseases, you must choose health insurance plans beforehand. And if the situation arises, you must be equipped with easy health insurance claims.

From a global point of view, it is crucial to enhance and join efforts to make vaccinations available to beat such diseases. Offering select health insurance and explaining to people the importance of health insurance would be an added advantage. 

Health Insurance: A Helping Hand in Times of Crisis

Currently, Niva Bupa Health Insurance offers the best health insurance plan that aims to serve various health insurance benefits.

The name of this cashless health insurance is Corona Kavach and Money Saver. The health insurance benefits include the following:

• Affordable health insurance premium
• Provision of hospitalisation expenses for COVID patients
• Claim up to ₹5 lakh with flexible policy term options between 3.5 and 9.5 months
• Post and pre-hospitalisation costs covered for up to the insured sum
• Cashless health insurance for hassle-free claims
• Claim processing in 30 minutes

Though the government takes measures to prevent widespread diseases, people must be aware of the impact of such diseases and stay alert. A joint effort of people, medical facilities in the country, and health insurance service providers will help beat such diseases.