A study of the relationship between tuberculosis disease and the severity of COVID-19; a systematic review study

Abstract

Introduction: Studies on COVID-19 disease in patients with tuberculosis (TB) have not yet been widely performed and clear results have not been presented. It was found that; COVID-19 infection in TB patients quickly leads to disease and causes death in a small number of them. However, the prognosis of co-infection has not been evaluated in long run, since the association between TB and covid-19 cannot be ruled out, and therefore appropriate precautions and health system preparation are needed to deal with the impending burden of co-infection. The aim of this study was to provide a clear picture of the effects of these two diseases with each other. Methods: This study is considered as a systematic review of secondary studies. The statistical population is the studies that have been conducted in relation to the above topic and in the world. These articles were extracted from the databases of PubMed, Magiran, Science Direct, and Google Scholar. Out of 180 articles, 52 articles were related to our subject were selected, while 30 duplicates were removed from this number, hence 30 articles were selected. Finally, after a qualitative review, 12 articles were included in the study and the results of five articles were analyzed. Results: Studies have shown that co-infection with COVID-19 and tuberculosis can increase mortality; TB is also likely to exacerbate the course of COVID-19 for the infected population and may increase the TB epidemic in the short term after the end of the COVID-19 epidemic is effective, so appropriate precautions and preparation of the health system are needed to deal with the impending burden of co-infection. Conclusion: COVID-19 disease and its limitations may have a significant impact on the presentation and monitoring of TB control strategies nationally and globally. Concerns about delays in treating TB patients make their disease worse, and therefore broader management should be conducted.