COVID-19-related service disruptions could cause hundreds of thousands of extra deaths from AIDS-related illnesses, including from TB.

In a blog post published in Forbes, Madhukar Pai reflects on the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on AIDS, TB and malaria responses. "The ‘Big Three’ are predicted to get bigger. AIDS, TB and malaria are predicted to kill many more in the coming months and years."

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has thrown much of the world into disarray, with over 4 million people reported infected and well over 282,000 deaths. A new study published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in May 2020 suggests that the long-term impact of the virus could include activation of dormant bacterial infections like tuberculosis (TB).  

The Stop TB Partnership recently released a modeling study showing a devastating effect of COVID-19 pandemic on TB response. Length of quarantine, movement restrictions and disruption of TB services could spell disaster for hundreds of thousands at risk. The world could see 6.3 million more TB cases and 1.4 million more TB deaths by 2025.

A group of leading Australian researchers have uncovered a unique blood-based biomarker signature in individuals infected by tuberculosis (TB).

Treatment Action Group released the May 2020 edition of TAGline, focused on the right to science.

Telethon Kids Institute researchers working with a global team have identified the mechanism behind one of science’s most enduring mysteries: what makes the 100-year-old tuberculosis (TB) vaccine, BCG, so effective at preventing newborn deaths from diseases other than TB.

6.3 million more people ill with TB and 1.4 million more TB deaths by 2025; Length of quarantine, movement restrictions and disruption of TB services could spell disaster for hundreds of thousands at risk.

WHO/Europe has launched a new online course to strengthen the capacity to diagnose drug-resistant tuberculosis (DR-TB) using molecular techniques. This free course, entitled “Drug-resistant tuberculosis: how to interpret rapid molecular test results”, is available on the OpenWHO platform and includes opportunities for participants throughout the world to seek expert advice for their diagnostic questions.