COVID‐19 and Zika: An emerging dilemma for Brazil

Costa, Ana Carla dos Santos; Hasan, Mohammad Mehedi; Xenophontos, Eleni; Mohanan, Parvathy; Bassey, Esther Edet; Hashim, Hashim Talib; Ahmad, Shoaib; Essar, Mohammad Yasir

Brazil has faced one of the greatest public health emergencies in its history due to the unprecedented rise in the number of COVID-19 cases in the country. This situation is aggravated due to the pandemic's coexistence with a Zika virus epidemic. The Zika epidemic has affected the country since 2015 and added a significant burden to the health system owing to the complications and sequelae resulting from Zika. The public health implications of these two diseases' coexistence can be painful, mainly due to the similarity in the clinical picture and the consequent possibility of underdiagnosis. The overlap of these two diseases can be a dangerous combination. Therefore, for such a catastrophe in public health to be avoided, urgent measures must be taken by the different spheres of government and society. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.