The "Unexpected Gift" of COVID-19... Deadly Tropical Disease "Dengue Fever" Dramatically Decreases [Reading Science]

Medical Journal The Lancet Publishes Paper by London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine Research Team
Global Infections Reduced by 720,000 in First Year of Pandemic

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Thanks to the strong quarantine policies implemented by governments worldwide during the COVID-19 pandemic, an unexpected effect has emerged. The number of dengue fever patients, a severe tropical infectious disease, has sharply declined.

According to the American daily The New York Times on the 16th, the medical journal The Lancet recently published a paper by a research team from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine presenting these findings. The team reported that from April 2020, as governments worldwide imposed COVID-19 restrictions such as travel limitations, the number of dengue fever cases decreased by approximately 720,000 over one year. Professor Oliver Brady of the research team stated, "The COVID-19 quarantine measures have produced truly unexpected effects, which will help us effectively respond to dengue fever in the future."

Dengue fever is a tropical infectious disease primarily transmitted by mosquitoes in tropical regions such as South America and Southeast Asia. More than 5 million people are infected annually, accompanied by severe joint and muscle pain. In fact, at the beginning of the pandemic, scientists were highly concerned. They feared that mosquito control activities, such as insecticide spraying, might be halted due to COVID-19, potentially leading to uncontrollable spread.

The research team analyzed in their paper that the main reason for the decrease in dengue fever cases was the restriction of people's movement. In particular, the closure of schools and workplaces played a significant role. Until now, quarantine authorities have focused on insecticide operations targeting stagnant water in homes, swamps, ponds, and sewers to control the primary dengue vector, the Aedes aegypti mosquito.

The research team explained, "We confirmed that people being bitten by mosquitoes in places like schools and workplaces plays an important role in dengue transmission," adding, "During the period when people stayed at home due to self-isolation, dengue fever cases decreased. This is because people did not go outside where they could be bitten by new mosquitoes and transmit the virus to others."