A fractional-order mathematical model for malaria and COVID-19 co-infection dynamics

This study proposes a fractional-order mathematical model for malaria and COVID-19 co-infection using the Atangana–Baleanu Derivative. We explain the various stages of the diseases together in humans and mosquitoes, and we also establish the existence and uniqueness of the fractional order co-infection model solution using the fixed point theorem. We conduct the qualitative analysis along with an epidemic indicator, the basic reproduction number R0 of this model. We investigate the global stability at the disease and endemic free equilibrium of the malaria-only, COVID-19-only, and co-infection models. We run different simulations of the fractional-order co-infection model using a two-step Lagrange interpolation polynomial approximate method with the aid of the Maple software package. The results reveal that reducing the risk of malaria and COVID-19 by taking preventive measures will reduce the risk factor for getting COVID-19 after contracting malaria and will also reduce the risk factor for getting malaria after contracting COVID-19 even to the point of extinction. •Propose a new mathematical model for malaria and COVID-19 co-infection dynamics.•Present various stages of the diseases together in humans and mosquitoes.•Establish the existence and uniqueness of the fractional-order co-infection model solution using fixed point theorem.•Establish the global stability at the disease and endemic-free equilibrium of the malaria-only, COVID-19-only, and co-infection model.•Show that reducing the risk of malaria and COVID-19 by taking preventive measures will reduce the risk of the diseases.