AUTHOR=Allué-Guardia Anna , Torrelles Jordi B. , Sigal Alex 

TITLE=Tuberculosis and COVID-19 in the elderly: factors driving a higher burden of disease

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Immunology

VOLUME=14

YEAR=2023

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/immunology/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2023.1250198

DOI=10.3389/fimmu.2023.1250198

ISSN=1664-3224

ABSTRACT=<p><italic>Mycobacterium tuberculosis</italic> (<italic>M.tb</italic>) and SARS-CoV-2 are both infections that can lead to severe disease in the lower lung. However, these two infections are caused by very different pathogens (<italic>Mycobacterium vs.</italic> virus), they have different mechanisms of pathogenesis and immune response, and differ in how long the infection lasts. Despite the differences, SARS-CoV-2 and <italic>M.tb</italic> share a common feature, which is also frequently observed in other respiratory infections: the burden of disease in the elderly is greater. Here, we discuss possible reasons for the higher burden in older adults, including the effect of co-morbidities, deterioration of the lung environment, auto-immunity, and a reduced antibody response. While the answer is likely to be multifactorial, understanding the main drivers across different infections may allow us to design broader interventions that increase the health-span of older people.</p>