Maintaining focus on administering effective malaria treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic

As September marks the start of the malaria season in South Africa (SA), it is essential that healthcare professionals consider both COVID19 and malaria when a patient who lives in or has recently travelled to a malaria area presents with acute febrile illness. Early diagnosis of malaria by either a...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:South African medical journal 2021-01, Vol.111 (1), p.13
Main Authors: Raman, J, Barnes, K.I, Baker, L, Blaylock, M, Blumberg, L, Frean, J, Misiani, E, Ukpe, I.S
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Control
Diagnosis
Drug therapy
Epidemics
Malaria
South Africa
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:As September marks the start of the malaria season in South Africa (SA), it is essential that healthcare professionals consider both COVID19 and malaria when a patient who lives in or has recently travelled to a malaria area presents with acute febrile illness. Early diagnosis of malaria by either a rapid diagnostic test or microscopy enables prompt treatment with the effective antimalarial, artemether-lumefantrine, preventing progression to severe disease and death. Intravenous artesunate is the preferred treatment for severe malaria in both children and adults. Adding single low-dose primaquine to standard treatment is recommended in endemic areas to block onward transmission. Use of the highly effective artemisinin-based therapies should be limited to the treatment of confirmed malaria infections, as there is no clinical evidence that these antimalarials can prevent or treat COVID-19. Routine malaria case management services must be sustained, in spite of COVID-19, to treat malaria effectively and support SA's malaria elimination efforts.
ISSN:0256-9574
DOI:10.7196/SAMJ.2021.v111i1.15337