AUTHOR=Deng Huan , Liu Yishan , Lv Fan , Li Xiaofeng , Qi Mingyan , Bo Yajing , Qiu Sikai , He Xinyuan , Ji Fanpu , Zeng Qing-Lei , Gao Ning 

TITLE=Sex disparities of the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on mortality among patients living with tuberculosis in the United States

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Public Health

VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/public-health/articles/10.3389/fpubh.2024.1413604

DOI=10.3389/fpubh.2024.1413604

ISSN=2296-2565

ABSTRACT=Background: We aimed to determine the trend of TB-related deaths during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Methods：TB-related mortality data of decedents aged ≥ 25 years from 2006-2021 were analyzed. Excess deaths were estimated by determining the difference between observed and projected mortality rates during the pandemic.
Results：A total of 18628 TB-related deaths were documented from 2006-2021. TB-related age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) were 0.51 in 2020 and 0.52 in 2021, corresponding to an excess mortality of 10.22% and 9.19%, respectively. Female patients with TB demonstrated a higher relative increase in mortality (26.33% vs. 2.17% in 2020; 21.48% vs.3.23% in 2021) when compared to male. Female aged 45-64 years old showed a surge in mortality, with an annual percent change (APC) of -2.2% pre-pandemic to 22.8% (95% CI: -1.7% to 68.7%) during the pandemic, corresponding to excess mortalities of 62.165% and 99.16% in 2020 and 2021, respectively; these excess mortality rates were higher than those observed in the overall female population ages 45-64 years in 2020 (17.53%) and 2021 (33.79%).
Conclusion：The steady decline in TB-related mortality in the United States has been reversed by COVID-19. Female with TB were disproportionately affected by the pandemic.