Sri Lankan posts share misleading medical advice as dengue cases rise

"Doctor says taking any medication that is not paracetamol for fever these days will be deadly," reads the Sinhala-language claim shared here on Facebook on May 18, 2023.

The claim was shared alongside a link to a news report published on the same day, which quotes a medical practitioner who warns against the use of non-paracetamol drugs to treat fever (archived link).

"Dr Upul Dissanayake, a physician at the Colombo National Hospital, says no other pain medication except paracetamol should be taken to treat fever symptoms these days. He added that it could lead to death," the report reads in part.

The claim began to circulate online as a number of diseases causing fever symptoms including dengue, Covid-19 and influenza were reported across Sri Lanka (archived link).

The island nation recorded more than 39,000 cases of dengue as of June 2, prompting authorities to implement mosquito control programmes. Symptoms of dengue -- which can be life-threatening -- include fever, nausea, vomiting, and aches and pains (archived link here, here).

There is no treatment for dengue, but paracetamol is recommended to reduce fever and alleviate pain (archived link).

Image

Screenshot of the misleading Facebook post, taken on June 2, 2023.

Identical claims were shared in multiple Facebook posts here and here.

Misquoted news article

Upul Dissanayake, a senior consultant physician at the Colombo National Hospital, said he was misquoted by the report seen in the misleading posts.

"My warning was against self-medication mostly, as well as for medical practitioners to be extra vigilant when administering painkillers to patients with symptoms of fever and body aches," Dissnayake told AFP on May 31.

"Since dengue cases are on the rise, certain types of medication could hamper diagnosis and lead to fatal complications," he explained.

Dissanayake added: "But the advice was to obtain a proper diagnosis before prescribing medications and to refrain from self-medicating oneself."

Not uniformed advice

A spokesperson at Sri Lanka's Health Promotion Bureau (HPB) said the claim was missing important context.

"Yes, certain non-paracetamol drugs could lead to fatal repercussions if administered without a proper diagnosis" the spokesperson told AFP on May 29. "That does not mean administering them after ruling out certain conditions will lead to a fatality and should not be circulated as uniform advice on treating fever symptoms."

The spokesperson also advised the public to seek immediate medical attention to obtain a diagnosis if fever symptoms are presented, instead of opting for self-medication.