A comparative study of malaria diagnosis using rapid diagnostic tests (RDT) and microscopy in fever patients in East and West Kupang district, Indonesia during the COVID-19 pandemic

Abstract

Introduction: Malaria is a parasitic infectious disease that is still a world health problem, especially in tropical countries including Indonesia. Itis still a major cause of death in both adults and children. The majority of cases occur in the African region (93%), followed by Southeast Asia including Indonesia (3.4%), and the East Mediterranean region (2.1%). The number of deaths due to malaria globally in 2018 reached 405,000, a decrease compared to416,000 in 2017 and 585,000 in 2010. In the era of theCOVID-19 pandemic. Aim: This study is useful to provide a descriptive picture of the number of malaria casesthat presented with fever, which is also a common symptom of COVID-19. Methods: This research is an interventional descriptive study with the aim of comparing the number of malaria cases with fever symptoms diagnosed through microscopic examination and Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) at the Batakte Health Centre located in West Kupang (Group 1) and at the Naibonat Health Centre (Group 2) located in East Kupang. The total sample in this study were 128 people with fever symptoms. In each group, the malaria blood smear was examined and RDT was carried out. Result: The Result of the study revealedthat there were no malaria cases found in both Batakte Health Center and the Naibonat Health Center during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Conclusion: There is no significant difference between the Batakte and Naibonat Health centres in terms of malaria diagnosis using both microscopy and RDT. How to cite this article:Lidia K, Setianingrum ELS, Folamauk CL, Pakan P. A Comparative Study of Malaria Diagnosis Using Rapid Diagnostic Tests (RDT) and Microscopy in Fever Patients in East and West Kupang District, Indonesia during the COVID-19 Pandemic. J Commun Dis. 2021; 53(2): 57-61. DOI: https://doi.org/10.24321/0019.5138.202126