Evidence

The threat of contagious infectious diseases is constantly evolving as demographic explosion, travel globalization, and changes in human lifestyle increase the risk of spreading pathogens.  Of particular interest is the aftermath of superimposing viral epidemics (especially COVID-19) over long-standing diseases, such as tuberculosis (TB), which remains a significant disease for public health worldwide and especially in emerging economies. This study aims to identify the learnings from other outbreaks, the impact on co-infected patients, the impact of diagnosis and TB vaccine on COVID-19. It finds that lessons from past infectious disease outbreaks, influenza and seasonal outbreaks have taught the importance of infection control to avoid severe impact on TB patients. Although challenging due to data scarcity, investigating  pathological pathways linking TB and COVID-19 leads to the idea that their coexistence might yield a more severe clinical evolution. This paper also addresses the issues of vaccination and diagnostic reliability in the context of coinfection. It concludes that because viral respiratory infections and TB impede the host’s immune responses, it can be assumed that their lethal synergism may contribute to more severe clinical evolution. It is a useful study for implementers.  Click here to read the study.