Co-infection mechanisms and immune interaction of pulmonary tuberculosis and COVID-19

As the infectious diseases, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and tuberculosis (TB) remain tremendous problems of public health around the globe till the current pandemic. Although there are significant differences in transmission routes, immunopathological mechanisms and epidemiological characteristics between the two, the clinical complexity, superimposed immune injury and treatment contradiction of co-infected cases are increasingly prominent. Therefore, effective therapeutic approaches and the discovery of new potential therapeutic targets are extremely important. The review focuses on the potential compound and molecular mechanisms of the coinfections of TB and COVID-19, the interaction of the coinfections and public health strategies for the coinfections so as to offer evidence-based advice for reducing the impact of common epidemic on health system.