Comparative Analysis of Clinical, Laboratory, and Imaging Profiles in Tuberculosis Patients Pre- and Post-COVID-19 Pandemic.

BACKGROUND

While the COVID-19 pandemic has understandably dominated global attention, Tuberculosis (TB) remains a persistent and formidable global health threat. Acknowledging the impact of COVID-19 on immune function and the decreased referrals of TB patients to medical clinics during the pandemic, we sought to assess the clinical and paraclinical characteristics of TB patients in two distinct periods: pre-pandemic and pandemic periods.

MATERIALS AND

METHODS

We retrospectively identified 105 TB patients from the year preceding the pandemic and, during the pandemic, selected 72 TB patients with a positive history of COVID-19. A comprehensive analysis of various features, including age, gender, fever, cough, hemoptysis, and different imaging and laboratory parameters, was conducted and compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

Post-pandemic TB patients exhibited a higher prevalence of hemoptysis, chest pain, and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) levels, with P-values of 0.014, 0.006, and <0.001, respectively. Furthermore, our findings indicated an increased incidence of bilateral imaging features in COVID-19 TB patients (P= 0.02).

CONCLUSION

Given the potential effects of COVID-19 on immune function and the diagnostic challenges posed by overlapping clinical manifestations, clinicians should maintain a high index of suspicion for tuberculosis (TB) in patients with COVID-19, particularly those presenting with atypical or complex symptoms.