JAKARTA -- Southeast Asian countries are bracing for possible outbreaks of infectious diseases that show symptoms similar to those of the novel coronavirus ahead of the rainy season. Treatments for these seasonal infections are very different from those for COVID-19, complicating the work of front-line medical workers.
As of May 8, there were 53,660 cases of dengue fever in Indonesia. Infections are rising at a faster pace than last year. In 2019, Southeast Asia's most populous country had 137,761 dengue fever infections, more than double the previous year, according to the country's Health Ministry.
