Tuberculosis and HIV responses threatened by COVID-19

P Adepoju - The lancet HIV, 2020 - thelancet.com
The lancet HIV, 2020thelancet.com
March 24, 2020, was World Tuberculosis Day 2020, but this year tuberculosis was
overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of that week, COVID-19 had already
exceeded 600 000 confirmed cases and about 30 000 deaths worldwide. Before the
emergence of COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, coinfection
with tuberculosis was probably the priority for HIV/AIDS control efforts in Africa.“Tuberculosis
is an issue throughout the world. But in Africa, the tuberculosis epidemic is driven by HIV …
March 24, 2020, was World Tuberculosis Day 2020, but this year tuberculosis was overshadowed by the COVID-19 pandemic. By the end of that week, COVID-19 had already exceeded 600 000 confirmed cases and about 30 000 deaths worldwide. Before the emergence of COVID-19 as a public health emergency of international concern, coinfection with tuberculosis was probably the priority for HIV/AIDS control efforts in Africa.“Tuberculosis is an issue throughout the world. But in Africa, the tuberculosis epidemic is driven by HIV, and HIV-tuberculosis coinfection has clear impact on mortality”, said Matteo Zignol (WHO Global Tuberculosis Programme).
The immune status that makes people with HIV vulnerable to tuber culosis could also make them susceptible to coronavirus infection. COVID-19 is already affecting control measures for tuberculosis and HIV, while WHO and UNAIDS are compiling data and evidence to guide recommendations for the management of COVID-19 in the context of HIV-tuberculosis coinfection. To flatten the curve of the COVID-19 pandemic, governments across the world are shutting cities down and restricting movements; they are also encouraging residents to stay indoors. But capacities of health-care facilities are being stretched, and there are increasing demands for more hospital materials such as personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators. With a large proportion of resources committed to stemming the spread of COVID-19, services across all sectors are affected
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