COVID-19 IN TUBERCULOSIS PATIENTS: SINGLE САНЕ CENTER EXPERIENCE
Little is known about the relationship between the COVID-!9 and tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study is to describe a group of patients who died with TB (active disease or sequelae) and COVID-19. Data from 2!5 hospitalized patients with TB and COVID-19 were analyzed. Demographic and clinical variables were retrospectively collected, including co-morbidities and risk factors for TB and COVID-19 mortality. The median age of the cases was 43 years, and the male/female ratio was 2.5/!.0. Out of 2!5 patients !3! (60.9%) were migrants and 32 (!4.9%) were homeless. Overall, 22 out of 2!5 (!0.2%) patients died. All of them had 8! concomitant diseases, i.e. 2.8 per patient. Mortality rate was higher in intensive care unit (ICU) than hospital at all was three times higher than in the clinic as a whole: 29.6% vs !0.2% (p < 0.05). The highest rates were among patients aged over 60 (23.3%) vs patients aged !8 to 60 (8.!%) (p < 0,05). Active tuberculosis diagnosed in 20 (90.9%) of died patients, sequelae - in 2 (9.!%). The main cause of mortality was COVID-!9 (!! cases - 50.0%), HIV - in 5 (22.7%) cases, TB - in 4 (!8.2%), other diseases - in 2 (9.!%). The study findings show that susceptibility of tuberculosis patients to SARS-CoV-2 is most typical in age from !8 until 60 years (86.0%), in men mostly (7!.2%). Almost every third case (29.8%) of COVID-!9/TB co-infection occurs in HIV+ patients. 29.6% of patients with combined SARS-CoV-2/TB infection need treatment in ICU. 8.8% of patients underwent surgery.