Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Associated With COVID-19 Infection: A Case Report

Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB), has been a serious threat to health on a global scale. It becomes much more problematic when examined in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. On May 19, 2022, a retired black African woman 44 age of year who tested HIV-negative was brought into the emergency room. She admitted with a history of a persistent cough, fever, muscle weakness, and significant weight loss. She explained that she had taken public transportation to get to her family's house without wearing a face mask. Once a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test from a nasopharyngeal swab confirmed that she had COVID-19. She experienced low-grade fever and cough, lethargy, an additional 25 pounds of weight loss, progressively worsening night sweats. And she also had new-onset dyspnea at rest seven days after the symptoms of her COVID-19 infection had subsided. Mycobacterium tuberculosis with potential rifampin resistance was detected in the GeneXpert sputum test as present. An all-oral daily antituberculous treatment plan was commenced, consisting of bedaquiline (400 mg), levofloxacin (1,000 mg), linezolid (600 mg), clofazimine (100 mg), and pyrazinimide (1,600 mg). She received low molecular weight heparin daily at a dosage of 1 mg/kg as a prophylactic precaution against prothrombotic episodes.