Tuberculosis and Covid-19 Co-Infection – Clinical Characteristics

The threat of contagious infectious diseases is constantly evolving as demographic explosion, travel globalization and changes in human lifestyle increase the risk of speeding pathogens, leading to accelerate changes in disease landscape.(1) Tuberculosis and Covid-19 are both infectious diseases that attack primarily the lungs. Both diseases have similar symptoms such as cough, fever and difficulty breathing. Tuberculosis has a longer incubation period with a slower reset of disease. Experience on Covid-19 infection in TB patient remains limited. 8 studies reported a total of 80 patients with this co-infection. These patients were reported from 9 different countries, with Italy reporting the largest number of cases.(2) The aim of this study is to evaluate the characteristic of TB and Covid-19 co-infection in 10 patients who were admitted in the Pulmonology Hospital of Sibiu between 01.05.2020-30.04.2021. All of these patients were with nosocomial infection Covid-19 and were previously diagnosed with TB.