Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40339785›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases2025

Infection prevention and control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic and airborne tuberculosis transmission during primary care visits in South Africa.

Nicolas Banholzer, Keren Middelkoop, Remo Schmutz, Juane Leukes, Kathrin Zürcher, Matthias Egger, Robin Wood, Lukas Fenner

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Article in International journal of infectious diseases : IJID : official publication of the International Society for Infectious Diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors.

Nicolas BanholzerInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Keren MiddelkoopInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Remo SchmutzInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Juane LeukesInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Desmond Tutu HIV Centre, Department of Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa.
Kathrin ZürcherInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland.
Matthias EggerInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland; Centre for Infectious Disease Epidemiology & Research, School of Public Health & Family Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Population Health Sciences, Bristol Medical School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.
Robin WoodInstitute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine, University of Cape Town, Cape Town, South Africa; Desmond Tutu Health Foundation, Cape Town, South Africa.
Lukas FennerInstitute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: lukas.fenner@unibe.ch.

Funding

Observational Antiretroviral Studies In Southern Africa (OASIS) CollaborationU01AI069924 · NIAID · UNIVERSITAT BERN · PI Cleophas Chimbetete, Mary-Ann Davies · 2006 to 2026
$55.9M
NIAID NIH HHS U01 AI069924
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTuberculosis (TB) transmission in crowded health care settings poses considerable risks in high-burden regions. We assessed how COVID-19 pandemic-related infection prevention and control (IPC) measures might impact TB transmission in a South African primary care clinic.

methodsIn 2019 (prepandemic) and 2021 (pandemic), we collected clinical data, patient tracking data (person-time and spatial density), indoor CO

resultsDuring the pandemic, clinics were less crowded, with lower mean person-time per day (209 vs 258 hours; P < 0.001). TB prevalence among patients also declined (1.1% vs 4.7%; P = 0.052). Environmental indicators suggested improved air quality, with lower CO₂ levels (555 vs 856 parts-per-million; P < 0.001) and higher ventilation rates (15.8 vs 6.3 air changes per hour; P < 0.001). These changes corresponded with a reduction in modeled Mtb transmission risk (0.04% vs 1.36%; P = 0.046). Airborne Mtb DNA was detected in both periods.

conclusionPandemic-related IPC measures to control COVID-19 transmission were rigorously implemented and likely reduced transmission of airborne respiratory infections, supporting their continued implementation in healthcare settings postpandemic.

Indexed as

COVID-19Infection ControlTuberculosisAdultAir MicrobiologyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMycobacterium tuberculosisPandemicsPrimary Health CareSARS-CoV-2South AfricaYoung AdultAirborne transmissionCarbon dioxideGenomic DNAHealthcare facilitiesInfection prevention and controlTuberculosis

Identifiers

PMID40339785
PMCPMC12277576

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.