Genetic diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from northwest of Iran during COVID-19 era.
Peyvand KashiFarzaneh PakdelMohammad Hossein Soroush BarhaghiMohammad Ahangarzadeh RezaeeSepehr TaghizadehJavid SadeghiMehdi YousefiReza GhotaslouMohammad AsgharzadehPourya GholizadehHossein Samadi KafilPublished in: The Egyptian journal of medical human genetics (2023)
Results of the current study showed COVID-19 pandemic had a direct effect on the transmission and diagnosis of tuberculosis. Less diagnosis and less clustering can indicate public controls and hygiene, and the use of masks had a direct effect on the transmission and diagnosis of tuberculosis. However, misidentification and less focus on other respiratory infections are expected during the pandemic. Studies on the co-infection of COVID-19 and tuberculosis and the role of mask and sanitization against TB are strongly recommended.