Increasing prevalence of TB-COVID Co-infection tied to increased mortality: Study

• Co-infected individuals faced increased risks of hospitalization, extended recovery periods, and higher mortality rates compared to those with single COVID-19 infections.

• The pooled fatality rate among co-infected patients was 7.1%, slightly lower than previous estimates, with in-hospital co-infected patients facing a mean fatality rate of 11.4%.

• However, the pooled relative risk of in-hospital fatality for TB-COVID patients versus single COVID patients was 0.8, suggesting a slightly lower risk among co-infected individuals.

The predominant treatment approach for TB-COVID co-infection involves a combination of recommended TB regimens and standard COVID-19 treatment. However, this approach has seen minimal changes since 2021.

Individuals with TB-COVID co-infection are at heightened risk of adverse outcomes, including hospitalization, extended recovery periods, and accelerated mortality. Limited information exists on the post-COVID-19 condition of co-infected patients, highlighting the need for further research in this area.

Despite a gradual decrease in fatality rates, TB-COVID co-infection remains a significant global health challenge. Urgent global collaboration is needed to address the complex challenges posed by this co-infection, particularly in countries with limited medical resources.

Reference:

Wang Q, Cao Y, Liu X, Fu Y, Zhang J, Zhang Y, et al. (2024) Systematic review and meta-analysis of Tuberculosis and COVID-19 Co-infection: Prevalence, fatality, and treatment considerations. PLoS Negl Trop Dis 18(5): e0012136. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pntd.0012136