A 36-year-old man has been diagnosed with HIV, Monkeypox, and COVID-19 all at once. The Italian man is the first known case of the concurrence of these three viral diseases, according to the Journal of Infection.
The man developed a fever accompanied by a sore throat, fatigue, and a headache 9 days later in June after he spent five days in Spain. A subsequent test report for COVID-19 also came positive.
Man Had "Condomless" intercourse with men
To make matters worse, a rash appeared on the patient's left arm soon thereafter, with small, painful vesicles spreading across the man's body in the following days. The man sought medical help and was hospitalized in an infectious diseases unit. The patient told doctors that he had had "condomless intercourse with men" during his sojourn in Spain, according to RT News.
Medics doubted that the man could be infected with monkeypox. Therefore his samples were sent to be tested that came back positive.
HIV Test Report Came Positive
There were also concerns that the individual could have been infected with viral hepatitis, herpes simplex, gonorrhea, chlamydia, and lymphogranuloma venereum.
But multiple test results showed that the man was not infected with any of these STDs. But his HIV test report came positive.
The Man Recovered Quickly
Despite being diagnosed with three different diseases, the man recovered quickly compared with other patients with similar cases. His visible signs of monkeypox disappeared in almost 10 days.
Symptoms Of Two Diseases Can Overlap
The Journal of Infection pointed out that medical professionals should take note of a patient's "sexual habits" and travel history. The article also underlined that if someone tests positive for monkeypox, a complete check for all sexually transmitted diseases should be recomended.
Due to the rise in monkeypox cases and the continuing Covid-19 pandemic, medics across the world are also being advised to be aware of how symptoms of two diseases can overlap.
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