Reactivation of latent tuberculosis in a COVID-19 patient on corticosteroid treatment

Abstract

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has made international headlines since 2020, behind the scenes, tuberculosis (TB) has remained a leading cause of global mortality. According to the WHO, TB is 1 of the top 10 causes of death globally, with about one-quarter of the world’s population infected. This case report highlights a female patient who presented to the emergency department with signs and symptoms of COVID-19 and was admitted to hospital. When the patient demonstrated minimal clinical improvement after initiating treatment for COVID-19, further investigations uncovered concomitant reactivated TB. This case is helpful in underscoring the potential implications of the COVID-19 pandemic and current treatment guidelines on the global burden of TB, which could subsequently impact how practitioners approach screening and management of latent TB infection.