Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on tuberculosis outcome and follow-up in Italy during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave: a nationwide online survey

Diana Canetti; Roberta Maria Antonello; Laura Saderi; Mara Giro; Delia Goletti; Loredana Sarmati; Paola Rodari; Marialuisa Bocchino; Miriam Schirò; Niccolò Riccardi; Giovanni Sotgiu

doi:10.53854/liim-3003-10

Impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on tuberculosis outcome and follow-up in Italy during the first COVID-19 pandemic wave: a nationwide online survey

Infez Med. 2022 Sep 1;30(3):418-426. doi: 10.53854/liim-3003-10. eCollection 2022.

Authors

Diana Canetti^{1

2}, Roberta Maria Antonello¹, Laura Saderi³, Mara Giro¹, Delia Goletti^{1

4}, Loredana Sarmati⁵, Paola Rodari⁶, Marialuisa Bocchino⁷, Miriam Schirò⁷, Niccolò Riccardi^{1

8}, Giovanni Sotgiu^{1

9}

Affiliations

¹ StopTB Italia Onlus, Milan, Italy.
² Department of Infectious Diseases, IRCCS San Raffaele Scientific Institute, Milan, Italy.
³ Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics Unit, Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Italy.
⁴ National Institute for Infectious Diseases (INMI) "L. Spallanzani" - IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
⁵ Università Tor Vergata, Roma, Italy.
⁶ Department of Infectious Tropical Diseases and Microbiology, IRCCS Sacro Cuore Don Calabria Hospital, Negrar di Valpolicella, Verona, Italy.
⁷ Section of Respiratory Diseases, Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Monaldi Hospital, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.
⁸ Infectious Diseases Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, University of Pisa, Italy.
⁹ Department of Medical, Surgical and Experimental Sciences, University of Sassari, Italy.

Abstract

Background: SARS-CoV-2 pandemic affected tuberculosis (TB) management. This Italian nationwide survey assessed COVID-19 impact on TB care and outcomes.

Materials and methods: Twenty-one hospitals or referral centres fulfilled an online survey. Primary objective was to describe clinical features, outcomes and retention in care in subjects with latent TB infection (LTBI) or disease over the first wave of COVID-19 pandemic. Secondary objectives were the assessment of risk factors, co-morbidities, diagnostics, radiological findings, and outcomes of COVID-19 in the study population.

Results: 254 patients with LTBI or active TB were included. In co-infected (SARS-CoV-2, LTBI/TB) patients, recovery occurred in 29/32 (90.6%) cases, death in one case. High retention in care was preserved.

Conclusion: in our cohort, outcomes did not seem to be adversely conditioned by incident COVID-19.

Keywords: COVID-19; Follow-up; LTBI; Pandemic; SARS-CoV-2; TB; Tuberculosis.