A Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Mystery: Persistent Fevers and Leukocytosis in a Patient With Severe COVID-19

Overview

Journal Open Forum Infect Dis

Specialty Infectious Diseases

Date 2020 Dec 28

PMID 33365357

Citations 2

Authors

Arielle Sasson

Amna Aijaz

Svetlana Chernyavsky

Nadim Salomon

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Short-course glucocorticosteroids are being used and tocilizumab (TCZ) had been used to treat patients with severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) disease. These agents, when administered individually, have been associated with tuberculosis (TB) during chronic use. We report a case of TB in a 44-year-old male with diabetes and severe COVID-19 who received high-dose short-course glucocorticosteroids and a single dose of TCZ. The clinical presentation was atypical with unresolving fevers and leukocytosis, progressive lower lobe cavities, and hilar adenopathy. Delayed diagnosis led to prolonged hospitalization and extensive antibiotic use.

Citing Articles

COVID-19 and tuberculosis coinfection: An overview of case reports/case series and meta-analysis of prevalence studies.

Daneshvar P, Hajikhani B, Sameni F, Noorisepehr N, Zare F, Bostanshirin N Heliyon. 2023; 9(2):e13637.

PMID: 36789387 PMC: 9911156. DOI: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e13637.

Global prevalence, treatment and outcome of tuberculosis and COVID-19 coinfection: a systematic review and meta-analysis (from November 2019 to March 2021).

Wang Q, Guo S, Wei X, Dong Q, Xu N, Li H BMJ Open. 2022; 12(6):e059396.

PMID: 35725250 PMC: 9213780. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-059396.

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