Atypical presentation of COVID-19 in a diabetic patient with malaria-like symptoms: case report

Abstract

Since the emergence of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic beginning in China in 2019, all health workers have faced a difficult  challenge. One challenge is a clinical picture in some cases, where the presenting symptoms do not fit with the usual pattern. In this report, we present a case whose initial symptoms were headache, dizziness, and vomiting suggesting malaria bearing in mind that the patient was from Sudan, where there is a high incidence of malaria.

These unusual symptoms may be attributed to the presence of the receptor ACE2, in various body systems. The mild pathological course may be related to the patient’s age and the fact that diabetic patients are less likely to develop lung injury, hence the absence of respiratory symptoms. We recommend that physicians are alert to the variety of different presenting features of COVID-19 and test with Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) whenever there is doubt.