Man tests positive for COVID, monkeypox and HIV all at the same time

An Italian man reported not feeling well after a trip to Spain where he had unprotected sex, and was first found to have COVID. He then tested positive for monkeypox and HIV.

Scientists have reported the first known case of a person testing positive for COVID-19, HIV and monkeypox all that the same time.

The case study report, published in the Journal of Infection, says a 36-year-old Italian man developed a fever, sore throat and fatigue after returning from a trip to Spain earlier this summer where he had unprotected sex.

He first tested positive for COVID on July 2 and the following day began showing signs of a rash and lesions on his torso, face, glutes and lower limbs.

By July 5 the rash had spread further, at which point he sought treatment at an Italian hospital, where it was determined by testing that he had contracted monkeypox.

According to the report, the man was also tested for a range of sexually transmitted infections, including an HIV test that came back positive.

It’s the first time the three viruses have been diagnosed at the same time.

The study’s authors said that monkeypox and COVID often share overlapping symptoms including fever, sore throat and headache which make it “difficult for physicians to perform the correct diagnosis, also considering that not all patients with monkeypox develop skin lesions and that COVID-19 may rarely present with rash and vesicles (spots).”

It’s too early to know whether the virus combination will result in a worse outcome for the patient, the authors wrote, but they are warning that there is no widely available treatment in the event that they co-occur.