Novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in tuberculosis patients in St. Petersburg

Abstract

The aim of this work was to attempt to analyze the demographic structure, clinical and radiological forms of tuberculosis and COVID-19, as well as the course and outcome of the disease in patients with this coinfection in the light of a new and still poorly understood problem of the mutual influence of tuberculosis and COVID-19.Material and methods. Examination and treatment were carried out in the infectious-tuberculosis departments of the Botkin Clinical Infectious Disease Hospital. We examined 63 patients identified in the first seven months of the epidemic in the multimillion city of St. Petersburg (Russia). Tuberculosis, confirmed by conventional bacteriological and molecular genetic methods, had an active phase in all of them. The new coronavirus infection was verified by a positive polymerase chain reaction test for SARS-CoV-2.Results. Tuberculosis in 43 patients was detected simultaneously with COVID-19, in 20 people it preceded coronavirus infection. Disseminated forms of tuberculosis prevailed - 50.8%; in 36.5%, two or more organs and systems were affected, which is associated with a high proportion (54.0%) of HIV-positive patients with an advanced stage of the disease. Lung damage with COVID-19 was noted in 36.5%. Fatal outcomes ended in 20.6% of cases of coinfection, the structure of the causes of death is given.Conclusion. An assumption was made about the possibility of an aggravating effect of tuberculosis on COVID-19 in the case of severe or widespread forms of these diseases. The negative influence of HIV infection on the outcome of the disease has also been shown. Further follow-up is required to identify more reliable associations between tuberculosis and COVID-19.