[:en]COVID-19 has dominated the healthcare landscape for the past 7-8 months.
Amongst all the attention given to COVID-19, another viral related illness, namely Dengue fever, has silently made resurgence.
Singapore is Facing its Largest Dengue Outbreak
Singapore is potentially facing its largest dengue outbreak ever.
Singapore has recorded more than 26,000 dengue cases this year, surpassing the previous annual record of around 22,000 in 2013 with three months still remaining.
Currently, the cumulative number of cases for 2020 (First 37 E-weeks) is 28943.
Fortunately, dengue fever in most people is a relatively benign disease.
What Should I Do If I’m Diagnosed with Dengue?
Below are some self-care measures one can take when diagnosed with dengue.
- Rest as much as possible and drink plenty of fluids.
- Take Paracetamol to control fever and relieve pain.
- Avoid drugs such as aspirin or ibuprofen.
- Take extra precautions to avoid injuries as any injuries may result in bleeding that is worse than normal.
- Ensure that you follow up with your doctor for regular blood tests until your platelets, cells that are responsible for blood clotting, normalize.
- It is normal to have fatigue, body aches and fever whilst recovering from dengue. However, if you start to have vomiting, stomach pain, giddiness, bleeding from nose or gums, vomiting blood, or blood in your stool, visit a doctor as soon as possible. Those are symptoms and signs of possible severe dengue and you need to be seen by a medical professional urgently.
Symptoms of Dengue
Unfortunately, dengue fever can present in the same way as many other viral infections such as:
- fever
- rash
- nausea
- vomiting
- aches and pains
- bleeding gums
- blood in the urine
More specific signs such as bleeding gums and blood in the urine often do not occur. Hence, a high index of suspicion is needed.
If you think you have dengue, visit your doctor as soon as possible.
Diagnosis is made via a simple blood test. Early diagnosis and close monitoring are key management steps in dengue fever for good outcomes.
Read more: Dengue Prevention, Symptoms, and Tests[:]
