Scientists have observed the first-ever case of a person getting COVID-19, Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), and monkeypox all at once.
A case study published in the Journal of Infection revealed that a 36-year-old Italian man suffered from fever, sore throat, and fatigue after coming back from Spain’s trip earlier this summer where he had unprotected intercourse.
The patient tested positive for the coronavirus on 2 July, and the next day he started showing symptoms of a rash and lesions on his legs, torso, face, and lower limbs. By 5 July, his rash grew and he went to a hospital for treatment. Subsequently, his test diagnosed him with monkeypox.
As per the report, he was tested for various Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), including HIV which came positive. It is the first time a person with three viruses at the same time has been observed.
The authors of the study detailed that monkeypox and coronavirus patients often have similar symptoms like fever, sore throat, and a headache, making the diagnosis more difficult for medical practitioners. They also mentioned that not every patient gets skin lesions for monkeypox and COVID rarely causes rashes and vesicles (spots).
The authors said that it is too soon to evaluate if the blend of these viruses will cause unfavorable consequences to the patient, and warned that the treatment for such a case is not easily available.
Note here that the man was fully vaccinated for COVID-19 and he informed the doctors that he had received treatment for syphilis (STD) in 2019, and had tested negative for HIV in 2021.
The authors have urged doctors to examine patients’ medical, travel, and sexual history to probe into overlapping diseases.
They stated, “Our case emphasizes that sexual intercourse could be the predominant way of transmission. Therefore, complete STI screening is recommended after a diagnosis of monkeypox”.
The study revealed that over 16,000 people in 74 countries have been diagnosed with monkeypox since January, while BA.4 and BA.5 coronavirus sub-variants are behind a million COVID-19 cases globally per day.
