The severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) disease (COVID-19) pandemic has attracted interest because of its global rapid spread, clinical severity, high mortality rate and capacity to overwhelm healthcare systems [1, 2]. SARS-CoV-2 transmission occurs mainly through droplets, although surface contamination contributes and debate continues on aerosol transmission [3-5]. The disease is usually characterised by initial signs and symptoms [4-9] similar to those of related viral infections (e.g. influenza, SARS, Middle East respiratory syndrome) and tuberculosis (TB), although prognosis and complications sometimes differ. Experience with concomitant TB and COVID-19 is extremely limited. One case-control study of COVID-19 patients with interferon-γ release assay-confirmed TB infection [10] and a single case of TB with COVID-19 have been submitted to, but not yet published in, peer-reviewed journals [11]. In a recent analysis of 1217 consecutive respiratory specimens collected from COVID-19 patients (Mycobacterium tuberculosis was not tested), the authors concluded that higher rates of co-infection between SARS-CoV-2 and other respiratory pathogens can be expected [12]. The present study describes the first-ever global cohort of current or former TB patients (post-TB treatment sequelae) with COVID-19, recruited by the Global Tuberculosis Network (GTN) in eight countries and three continents. No analysis for determinants of outcome was attempted. The study is nested within the GTN project monitoring adverse drug reactions [13, 14] for which the coordinating centre has an ethics committee approval, alongside ethics clearance from participating centres according to respective national regulation [13, 14]. A specific nested database was created in collaboration with the eight countries reporting patients with TB and COVID-19; the remaining countries had not yet observed COVID-19 in their patients at the time this manuscript was written. Continuous variables, if not otherwise specified, are presented as medians with interquartile ranges. Overall, 49 consecutive patients with current or former TB and COVID-19 from 26 centres in Belgium (n=1), Brazil (Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul State; n=1), France (n=12), Italy (n=17), Russia (Moscow Region; n=6), Singapore (n=1), Spain (n=10) and Switzerland (Vaud Canton; n=1) were recruited (dataset updated as of

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis (TB) substantially challenges TB control, especially in the European Region of the World Health Organization, where the highest prevalence of MDR/XDR cases is reported. The current management of patients with MDR/XDR-TB is extremely complex for medical, social and public health systems. The treatment with currently available anti-TB therapies to achieve relapse-free cure is long and undermined by a high frequency of adverse drug events, suboptimal treatment adherence, high costs and low treatment success rates. Availability of optimal management for patients with MDR/XDR-TB is limited even in the European Region. In the absence of a preventive vaccine, more effective diagnostic tools and novel therapeutic interventions the control of MDR/XDR-TB will be extremely difficult. Despite recent scientific advances in MDR/XDR-TB care, decisions for the management of patients with MDR/XDR-TB and their contacts often rely on expert opinions, rather than on clinical evidence.This document summarises the current knowledge on the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of adults and children with MDR/XDR-TB and their contacts, and provides expert consensus recommendations on questions where scientific evidence is still lacking.

Rationale Improved therapeutic options are needed for patients with treatment-refractory nontuberculous mycobacterial lung disease caused by Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). Objectives To evaluate the efficacy and safety of daily amikacin liposome inhalation suspension (ALIS) added to standard guideline-based therapy (GBT) in patients with refractory MAC lung disease. Methods Adults with amikacin-susceptible MAC lung disease and MAC-positive sputum cultures despite ≥6 months of stable GBT were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive ALIS with GBT (ALIS+GBT) or GBT alone. Once-daily ALIS was supplied in single-use vials delivering 590 mg amikacin to the nebulizer. The primary endpoint was culture conversion, defined as 3 consecutive monthly MAC-negative sputum cultures by month 6. Measurements and Main Results Enrolled patients (ALIS+GBT, n=224; GBT-alone, n=112) were a mean 64.7 years old and 69.3% female. Most had underlying bronchiectasis (62.5%), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (14.3%), or both (11.9%). Culture conversion was achieved by 65 of 224 patients (29.0%) with ALIS+GBT and 10 of 112 (8.9%) with GBT alone (OR, 4.22; 95% CI [2.08, 8.57]; P<0.001). Patients in the ALIS+GBT arm vs GBT alone were more likely to achieve conversion (hazard ratio, 3.90; 95% CI, [2.00, 7.60]). Respiratory adverse events (primarily dysphonia, cough, and dyspnea) were reported in 87.4% of patients receiving ALIS+GBT and 50.0% receiving GBT alone; serious treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 20.2% and 17.9% of patients, respectively. Conclusions Addition of ALIS to GBT for treatment-refractory MAC lung disease achieved significantly greater culture conversion by month 6 than GBT alone, with comparable rates of serious adverse events. Clinical trial registration available at www.clinicaltrials.gov, ID NCT02344004.

Large studies on bedaquiline used to treat multidrug-resistant (MDR-) and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB) are lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of bedaquiline-containing regimens in a large, retrospective, observational study conducted in 25 centres and 15 countries in five continents.428 culture-confirmed MDR-TB cases were analysed (61.5% male; 22.1% HIV-positive, 45.6% XDR-TB). MDR-TB cases were admitted to hospital for a median (interquartile range (IQR)) 179 (92-280) days and exposed to bedaquiline for 168 (86-180) days. Treatment regimens included, among others, linezolid, moxifloxacin, clofazimine and carbapenems (82.0%, 58.4%, 52.6% and 15.3% of cases, respectively).Sputum smear and culture conversion rates in MDR-TB cases were 63.6% and 30.1%, respectively at 30 days, 81.1% and 56.7%, respectively at 60 days; 85.5% and 80.5%, respectively at 90 days and 88.7% and 91.2%, respectively at the end of treatment. The median (IQR) time to smear and culture conversion was 34 (30-60) days and 60 (33-90) days. Out of 247 culture-confirmed MDR-TB cases completing treatment, 71.3% achieved success (62.4% cured; 8.9% completed treatment), 13.4% died, 7.3% defaulted and 7.7% failed. Bedaquiline was interrupted due to adverse events in 5.8% of cases. A single case died, having electrocardiographic abnormalities that were probably non-bedaquiline related.Bedaquiline-containing regimens achieved high conversion and success rates under different nonexperimental conditions.