The COVID19 pandemic may lead to the activation of the forgotten tuberculosis

<b>Introduction:</b> The Covid-19 pandemic has cast a shadow over many other diseases, including tuberculosis (TB). Once again, an infectious disease that was once quite active will most likely knock on our door. The purpose of this study was to determine if there were any differences in TB clinical characteristics in patients treated before and after the pandemic. <b>Methods:</b> In this retrospective observational study, we looked at patients treated for TB at the Institute for Pulmonary Diseases in Vojvodina, Serbia, two years before the pandemic (2018/2019) and two pandemic years (2020/2021). <b>Results:</b> We examined 280 patients (159 in pre-pandemic years and 121 in pandemic years). The percentage of patients who had symptoms for more than 3 months before TB diagnosis in prepandemic years was 37.11%, while in pandemic years that percentage rose up to 48.76% (p=0.034). Direct microscopy was the most common method of diagnosis before and throughout the pandemic (p=0.638). Before the pandemic, it took 28.03 days to convert sputum; during the pandemic, it took 34.39 days (p=0.043). In these two groups, there was no deterioration in radiological presentation (p=0.676). <b>Conclusion:</b> The pandemic resulted in a fall in the number of diagnosed TB patients, and patients went to the doctor later despite TB symptomatology, potentially increasing the risk of TB transmission in the general population. Our experience shows that after periods of war, migrations, and epidemics of other infectious diseases, the incidence of TB increases. Taking all of this into account, we must intensify and systemise the approach to these patients in terms of early screening, particularly in vulnerable groups.