COVID-19 and Mycobacterium Tuberculosis Coinfection: A Case Report

COVID-19 is a global pandemic, with attendant high morbidity and mortality. There is no previous documentation of its coinfection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis; the single most common cause of death from an infectious disease. Management and survival from this "cruel duel" in a low resource country will be daunting. We report the case of a middle-aged man who survived and the lessons learned from a COVID-19 treatment centre in the north-central of Nigeria. The patient presented with symptoms and clinical features of COVID-19 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis was confirmed with laboratory investigation. The patient commenced anti-tuberculous medications, received nutritional support and other supportive treatment for COVID-19 infection. He was discharged home to continue follow up at the medical outpatient and the DOTS clinic. Early recognition and prompt treatment are critical for a favourable clinical outcome.