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The following is a summary of “Interaction between type 2 diabetes and past COVID-19 on active tuberculosis,” published in the December 2024 issue of Infectious Disease by Calles-Cabanillas et al. 

The global setback in tuberculosis (TB) prevalence and mortality post-COVID-19 is partly due to healthcare disruptions, with the biological impact of COVID-19 on TB remained unclear.  

Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze the association between COVID-19 in the past 18 months and new TB episodes and the role of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) comorbidity.  

They included 112 new patients with active TB and 373 non-TB controls identified between June 2020 and November 2021 in communities along the Mexican border with Texas. Past COVID-19 was determined by self-report or positive serology. Bivariable and multivariable analyses were employed in new individuals with TB to estimate the odds with past COVID-19 and/or type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM).  

The results showed that the odds of new TB were higher in individuals with past COVID-19 compared to controls, but this was significant only among those with type 2 DM (aOR 2.3). In participants with DM, the odds of TB were 2.7 times higher in those without past COVID-19 and increased to 7.9 times higher in those with past COVID-19.  

Investigators concluded the DM and previous COVID-19 infection synergistically increased the risk of TB, suggesting the need for latent TB screening and prophylactic treatment in this high-risk population, with larger longitudinal studies required to validate the findings. 

Source: bmcinfectdis.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12879-024-10244-z