Higher Tuberculosis Detection through Integrated Testing among Coronavirus Disease 2019-suspected Individuals amid the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic

Abstract BACKGROUND: This study was conducted to determine the incidence of tuberculosis (TB) in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)-suspected population in a high TB-burdened rural area of Sindh, Pakistan. METHODS: In this retrospective study, data of COVID-19-suspected patients who underwent TB testing were recorded. Those with a history of weight loss, night sweats, hemoptysis, and cough for more than 20 days were tested for TB from Badin, a rural area in Pakistan, in the years 2021 and 2022. TB was confirmed by X-ray of the chest and GeneXpert. The data of TB-suspected and TB-confirmed cases during the years 2021 and 2022 were compared with the prepandemic years’ data. RESULTS: We observed higher cases of TB in the year 2021 as compared to 2019 (18% vs. 11%), with a similar trend for the year 2022 (17% vs. 11%). The female gender was found to have significantly higher cases of TB in 2021 and 2022 as compared to 2019 ( P < 0.05). Moreover, we did not find any significant difference in positive family history of active TB cases, comorbid conditions of TB, and frequency of multidrug-resistant cases in the years 2019, 2021, and 2022 ( P > 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results show a high frequency of TB cases among our study population compared to prepandemic year. Notably, an increase in TB cases among females in pandemic years may indicate underscreening or social restrictions previously. Our results underscore the significance of the integrated testing approach to enhance the diagnosis of TB which can further be helpful in eliminating TB from the endemic areas.