As the coronavirus continues to kill thousands across the globe another deadly disease is stalking parts of Central America and the Caribbean while the region remains vulnerable.
Dengue, also known as breakbone fever due to the severe joint pain it causes, regularly flares up in Latin America – but the coronavirus has pulled attention away from the fight against it, doctors said.
And in countries such as Paraguay, Ecuador and Colombia, there have been documented cases of people suffering from Dengue symptoms refusing to go to hospitals over fears they will catch Covid-19 while they are there.
Panama and Costa Rica have also expressed concerns that Dengue is still killing people while the international focus is on tackling coronavirus.