ABSTRACT
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, a tuberculosis outbreak occurred in a university in eastern China, with 4,488 students and 421 staff on the campus. A 19-year-old student was diagnosed in August 2019. Later, the first round of screening was initiated among close contacts, but no active cases were found. Till September 2020, four rounds of screening were performed. Four rounds of screening were conducted on September 9, November 8, November 22-25 in 2019 and September 2020, with 0, 5, 0 and 43 cases identified, respectively. A total of 66 active tuberculosis were found in the same university, including 4 sputum culture-positive and 7 sputum smear-positive. The total attack rate of active tuberculosis was 1.34% (66/4909). The whole-genome sequencing showed that the isolates belonged to the same L2 sub-specie and were sensitive to all tested antituberculosis drugs. Delay detection, diagnosis and report of cases were the major cause of this university tuberculosis epidemic. More attention should be paid to the asymptomatic students in the index class. After the occurrence of tuberculosis cases in schools, multiple rounds of screening should be carried out, and preventive therapy should be applied in a timely manner.
Subject(s)
COVID-19 , Tuberculosis , Adult , COVID-19/epidemiology , China/epidemiology , Disease Outbreaks , Humans , Pandemics , Tuberculosis/diagnosis , Tuberculosis/epidemiology , Tuberculosis/prevention & control , Universities , Young AdultABSTRACT
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may impede global tuberculosis elimination goals. In Jiangsu Province, China, tuberculosis notifications dropped 52% in 2020 compared to 2015-2019. Treatment completion and screening for drug resistance decreased continuously in 2020. Urgent attention must be paid to tuberculosis control efforts during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.