Covid vs Tomato Fever: Amid a probable fourth wave of Covid-19 in the country and presence of monkeypox, a new virus known as tomato flu or tomato fever has emerged from the state of Kerala in children under the age of five years with the first case reported from Kollam district on May 6, 2022.
As per a report published by the Lancet Respiratory Medicine journal, over 82 cases of tomato flu have been reported by local government hospitals among children aged below five years, as of July 26, 2022.
Tomato flu virus causes red and painful blisters to erupt throughout the body that gradually enlarge to the size of a tomato, hence the disease is known as tomato flu. The blisters resemble the lesions that occur during monkeypox virus infection.
Tomato Flu & Covid-19: Similarities and Differences
Tomato flu is a rare viral infection that could be a new variant of the hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) which is a common infectious disease mostly found in children aged between one and five years and in some cases studies has been found in immunocompromised adults. HFMD is a contagious but mild viral infection which causes symptoms such as mouth sores and rashes on hand and feet.
Though symptoms of tomato flu can be similar to Covid-19 — fever, fatigue, and body aches with some Covid-19 patients reporting rashes on skin — the virus is not related to SARS-CoV-2.
Tomato flu is a self limiting illness which means that the symptoms tend to resolve on its own, without treatment. As per the Lancet report, tomato flu is currently in an endemic state and is considered non-life threatening
Tomato Flu: Similar Symptoms With Other Diseases
Symptoms exhibited in a person infected with tomato flu can be similar to other diseases as well. According to the Landet report, the initial symptoms of tomato flu found in children are similar to those of chikungunya which include high fever, rashes, and intense pain in joints.
Further symptoms of tomato flu, as with other viral infections include, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, fever, dehydration, swelling of joints, body aches, and common influenza-like symptoms, which are similar to those manifested in dengue.
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