Concurrent Tuberculosis and COVID-19 Testing from a Single Sputum Specimen for Enhanced Disease Detection.

ABSTRACT: Background/Objectives: Tuberculosis (TB) and SARS-CoV-2 share similar symptoms and transmission routes. In early 2021, USAID and Stop TB Partnership recommended an integrated approach for simultaneous COVID-19 and TB testing in high TB burden countries for individuals with respiratory symptoms. In this evaluation, we tested a single sputum for both SARS-CoV-2 and Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) from participants at two healthcare facilities in South Africa. The diagnostic accuracy of the Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 (Xpress) assay using a sputum swab capture method was assessed by comparing the results with routine SARS-CoV-2 testing, while also determining the prevalence of TB and TB-COVID-19 co-infection in the study population. Methods: A total of 2274 individu

SUBMITTER: David A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11940921 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature