Addressing the challenges of TB diagnosis in the COVID era

Abstract

Ten million people fell ill with TB worldwide in 2019, of whom 1.4 million died, and 2.9 million were not notified, or not diagnosed1 and therefore continued transmitting the disease in the community. Sustained action against TB, including optimised uptake of best practices, is critical,2 particularly as the Covid-19 pandemic threatens the progress made over recent years.1 Within the Covid-19 pandemic, health access has been affected by, among others, the redirection of staff, resources, and facilities, the curtailment of movement, the stigma and fear of Covid-19, and the loss of income from business closures and salary reductions.