Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41083277›Full record

ArticleBMJ open respiratory research2025

Previously treated latent tuberculosis infection is associated with less severe acute COVID-19: a cohort study.

Katie Scandrett, Scott Pallett, Yemisi Takwoingi, Adam F Cunningham, Martin Dedicoat, Matthew K O'Shea

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMJ open respiratory research, 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
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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

6 authors.

Katie ScandrettDepartment of Applied Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Scott PallettCentre of Defence Pathology, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, UK.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9465-5299
Yemisi TakwoingiDepartment of Applied Health Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Adam F CunninghamDepartment of Immunology and Immunotherapy, College of Medicine and Health, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK.
Martin DedicoatDepartment of Infection, University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust, Birmingham, UK.
Matthew K O'SheaCentre of Defence Pathology, Royal Centre for Defence Medicine, Birmingham, UK m.k.oshea@bham.ac.uk.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThere is significant potential for respiratory infections, such as tuberculosis (TB) and COVID-19, to overlap but little is known about such co-infection. We aimed to study the impact of active TB and latent TB on the incidence of severe COVID-19 in a large cohort of individuals in a setting of low TB endemicity.

methodsClinical data of patients admitted to hospital with acute SARS-CoV-2 were merged with a database of patients with a history of previous or current active TB, latent TB or healthy controls. We assessed the incidence of COVID-19 in these groups, length of hospital stay, admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) and in-hospital mortality.

resultsCOVID-19 incidence among individuals with current active TB was 6.2% (12/194) and previous active TB 0.67% (30/4496). In contrast, the incidence in previously treated latent TB was 0.09% (4/4542) and among TB contacts 0.24% (34/13 391). There were similar rates of ICU admission and mortality among individuals with COVID-19 and current active TB, TB contacts and other patients. No individuals with previously treated latent TB and COVID-19 were admitted to the ICU or died.

conclusionsIndividuals with a history of latent TB seem to be at reduced risk of severe COVID-19 and have better outcomes than those with active TB and even uninfected controls. Further studies are required to understand the mechanistic basis of this observation.

Indexed as

CoinfectionCOVID-19Latent TuberculosisAdultAgedCohort StudiesFemaleHospital MortalityHumansIncidenceIntensive Care UnitsLength of StayMaleMiddle AgedSARS-CoV-2Severity of Illness IndexTuberculosisViral infection

Identifiers

PMID41083277
PMCPMC12519662

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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.