Dengue virus tests may sometimes return ‘positive’ for coronavirus, says study Jacob Koshy NEW DELHI: , August 21, 2020 22:45 IST Updated: August 22, 2020 10:37 IST Jacob Koshy NEW DELHI: , August 21, 2020 22:45 IST Updated: August 22, 2020 10:37 IST Deeper investigation may be required into finding out if there are crucial similarities in the structure of the two viruses.

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Because the viruses that causes dengue and coronaviruses belong to entirely different families, it is not expected for one to show affinity to the other. | Photo Credit: Getty Images

Deeper investigation may be required into finding out if there are crucial similarities in the structure of the two viruses.

Can dengue be sometimes mistaken for COVID-19? Two independent research studies — one from a group in Israel and another from the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-Indian Institute of Chemical Biology (CSIR-IICB) in Kolkata — show that tests specific to check for dengue sometimes led to a positive SARS-CoV-2 test and this, the scientists warn, could lead to misdiagnoses and skew public health responses in places where dengue is endemic and known to seasonally spike. This also prompts deeper investigation into whether there are crucial similarities in the structure of these viruses.