The potential impact of COVID-19-related disruption on tuberculosis burden

• Published in: European Respiratory Journal 2020-08, Vol.56 (2), p.2001718
• Main Authors: McQuaid, C Finn, McCreesh, Nicky, Read, Jonathan M, Sumner, Tom, Houben, Rein M G J, White, Richard G, Harris, Rebecca C
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Agora; Antitubercular Agents - therapeutic use; Communicable Disease Control - organization & administration; Comorbidity; Coronavirus Infections - epidemiology; Coronavirus Infections - prevention & control; Cost of Illness; COVID-19; Female; Global Health; Humans; Incidence; Male; Pandemics - prevention & control; Pandemics - statistics & numerical data; Pneumonia, Viral - epidemiology; Pneumonia, Viral - prevention & control; Risk Assessment; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - diagnosis; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - drug therapy; Tuberculosis, Pulmonary - epidemiology
• ISSN: 0903-1936; 1399-3003
• DOI: 10.1183/13993003.01718-2020

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, over 4000 people were dying from tuberculosis (TB) every day [1]. As with past emergencies [2], the impact of COVID-19 on TB outcomes is a serious cause for concern [3] but is currently unknown. Health systems overload, due to high numbers of COVID-19 cases, as well as interventions necessary to limit the transmission of SARS-CoV-2, could result in severe reductions in health service availability and access for the detection and treatment of TB cases [4]. However, physical distancing interventions could also limit Mycobacterium tuberculosis transmission outside of households, where most transmission occurs [5]. This has not been adequately explored in existing work [6–8], and it is currently unclear whether social distancing could compensate for disruptions in TB services, and what the impact of these combined COVID-19 disruption effects on TB burden is likely to be.