Skip to main content

Open Access Integrated screening and testing for TB and COVID-19 in Peru

Download Article:
We describe the experience of integrating COVID-19 screening and testing into a mobile TB screening unit in Lima, Peru. All attendees received chest radiographs, which were analysed using CAD4TB and CAD4COVID; Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra was used to test for TB, and antibody and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for SARS-CoV-2. One Xpert-positive TB case was diagnosed per 168 people screened, one person with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies per 3 people screened, and one PCR-confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection per 8 people screened. Integrated screening can help to avoid delays in the diagnosis of both TB and COVID-19.

Keywords: SARS-CoV-2; community health services; mass chest X-ray

Document Type: Research Article

Affiliations: 1: Socios En Salud Sucursal Peru, Lima, Peru, Escuela de Medicina, Facultad de Ciencias de la Salud, Universidad Peruana de Ciencias Aplicadas – UPC, Lima, Peru 2: Socios En Salud Sucursal Peru, Lima, Peru 3: Dirección de Redes Integradas de Salud Lima Norte (DIRIS), Lima, Peru, Facultad de Salud Pública y Administración, Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia, Lima, Peru 4: Dirección de Redes Integradas de Salud Lima Norte (DIRIS), Lima, Peru 5: Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, Division of Global Health Equity, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, MA, USA 6: Socios En Salud Sucursal Peru, Lima, Peru, Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA

Publication date: March 21, 2022

More about this publication?
  • Public Health Action (PHA), The Union's quarterly Open Access journal, welcomes the submission of articles on operational research. It publishes high-quality scientific research on health services, providing new knowledge on how to improve access, equity, quality and efficiency of health systems and services.

    The Editors will consider any manuscript reporting original research on quality improvements, cost-benefit analysis, legislation, training and capacity building, with a focus on all relevant areas of public health (e.g. infection control, nutrition, TB, HIV, vaccines, smoking, COVID-19, microbial resistance, outbreaks etc).

  • Editorial Board
  • Information for Authors
  • International Journal of Tuberculosis and Lung Disease
  • Public Health Action
  • Ingenta Connect is not responsible for the content or availability of external websites
  • Access Key
  • Free content
  • Partial Free content
  • New content
  • Open access content
  • Partial Open access content
  • Subscribed content
  • Partial Subscribed content
  • Free trial content