SARS-CoV-2 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis: a mini review

ABSTRACT

Tuberculosis (TB) has infected billions of people worldwide. The clinical appearance of TB is close to that of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Active pulmonary TB infection can lead to severe pulmonary distress syndrome. Recent studies have revealed the clinical significance of TB surveillance in COVID-19 patients. In this mini-review, we compiled data from published literature and addressed the significance of interplay between TB and SARS-CoV-2 co-infection. Bilateral cross-relationship between these two major public health issues can be classified into two main categories. On one hand, active TB and multidrug-resistance infections lead to poor prognosis, particularly in elderly patients with COVID-19. On the other hand, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic caused major harm to the global TB services and surveillance.