Clinical Epidemiology of COVID-19 in Malaria Settings

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As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic continues to evolve it is essential to mitigate risk of increased incidence of other infectious diseases. In malaria-endemic regions, it will be important to understand the potential impact to epidemiological changes, trends in transmission, and clinical presentation of COVID-19 and malaria individually, and as co-infections.

With the high-burden of illness caused by COVID-19, health systems disruption is probable, which may significantly impact malaria mortality rates and minimize the progress made in malaria control. Ensuring continuity of the core malaria services can help ease the burden on health systems from malaria to improve capacity in a country’s pandemic response, as well as mitigate risk for increased malaria transmission. Moreover, increased understanding of the epidemiological interaction between malaria and COVID-19 is needed to aid in public health decision-making for implementation of interventions, control spread, and minimize morbidity and mortality.

The World Health Organization (WHO) and funding partners have realized the increased need for funding opportunities to strengthen health systems and respond to the impending spread of COVID-19 in malaria-endemic settings. Key research questions related to clinical epidemiology and surveillance of COVID-19 and malaria will contribute to efforts in response planning using modeling approaches, developing patient management algorithms, as well as adaptation of COVID-19 response plans and guidance for malaria settings.