EXAMINING AGE, RACE, AND COMMUNITY ON PREVENTIVE HEALTH AND COVID-19 VACCINATION AMONG ADULTS 65+

During the ongoing spread of COVID-19 and its variants, older adults remain an age group particularly at-risk for poorer health outcomes, not only related to infection with COVID-19, but also due to disruptions in access to preventive health services, including routine vaccination. In the U.S., older adults have generally had high uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines, but differences persist regionally and between older adults from minority racial backgrounds. The purpose of the following study was to better understand how groups of Black and white-identifying adults ages 65+ described the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their preventive health behavior and healthcare use, including what contributed to their decision to receive or not receive a primary COVID-19 vaccination series. Seventy-five participants were purposively sampled and stratified into virtual focus groups based on their age, racial identity, vaccination status, and relationship to a local community. Findings leverage data from a pre-group questionnaire and focus groups conducted in November 2021. Analyses revealed differences among sub-groups about how the pandemic has impacted their relationship to their local community. Participants described the extent of the pandemic's disruption to their healthcare access, including modifications to in-person care, use of telehealth, and engagement in new health behaviors. Decision-making related to the COVID-19 vaccine differed among the vaccinated and unvaccinated and white and Black-identifying groups, including factors related to interpersonal and systemic trust, independent research, and bodily autonomy. Implications of this research for public health and practitioners working with older adults will be discussed.

Tuberculosis and COVID-19 interaction: A review of biological, clinical and public health effects.

Evidence is accumulating on the interaction between tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19. The aim of the present review is to report the available evidence on the interaction between these two infections. Differences and similarities of TB and COVID-19, their immunological features, diagnostics, epidemiological and clinical characteristics and public health implications are discussed. The key published documents and guidelines on the topic have been reviewed. Based on the immunological mechanism involved, a shared dysregulation of immune responses in COVID-19 and TB has been found, suggesting a dual risk posed by co-infection worsening COVID-19 severity and favouring TB disease progression. The available evidence on clinical aspects suggests that COVID-19 happens regardless of TB occurrence either before, during or after an active TB diagnosis. More evidence is required to determine if COVID-19 may reactivate or worsen active TB disease. The role of sequeale and the need for further rehabilitation must be further studied Similarly, the potential role of drugs prescribed during the initial phase to treat COVID-19 and their interaction with anti-TB drugs require caution. Regarding risk of morbidity and mortality, several risk scores for COVID-19 and independent risk factors for TB have been identified: including, among others, age, poverty, malnutrition and co-morbidities (HIV co-infection, diabetes, etc.). Additional evidence is expected to be provided by the ongoing global TB/COVID-19 study.

Tuberculosis and COVID-19, the new cursed duet: what differs between Brazil and Europe?

On April 1st, 2020, COVID-19 surpassed tuberculosis regarding the number of deaths per day worldwide. The combination of tuberculosis and COVID-19 has great potential for morbidity and mortality. In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis. In this review article, we address concurrent tuberculosis and COVID-19, with particular regard to the differences between Brazil and Europe. In addition, we discuss priorities in clinical care, public health, and research.