An Italian resident was not feeling well after a trip to Spain, tests taken from him showed HIV, COVID-19 and monkeypox at the same time. The newspaper reports il Messaggero He cites a scientific study in the Journal of Infection.
According to the study, a 36-year-old man began experiencing symptoms such as fever, sore throat, fatigue, headache and groin inflammation about nine days after returning from travel. At the same time, it turned out that during the trip, he had unprotected sexual contacts with representatives of the same sex.
Three days later, the man tested positive for COVID-19. He soon developed a rash on his left arm, and in the days that followed, ulcers spread throughout his body, causing him to go to the emergency room of a hospital in Catania, Sicily.
Tests were positive for monkeypox and HIV. It was noted that the man tested negative for HIV less than a year ago, so the infection can be assumed to have occurred recently.
He was discharged from the hospital about a week after recovering from the coronavirus and monkey disease. The man also suffers from bipolar disorder and regularly takes medication.
“This case demonstrates how the symptoms of monkeypox and COVID-19 can overlap and confirms that in the case of co-infection, history taking and sexual habits are critical for making an accurate diagnosis,” the authors write.
However, a test from one man for monkeypox showed a positive result after 20 days, and the researchers believe that “these people may be contagious for several days after clinical remission.”