Leprosy and the scenery of COVID-19

Abstract

The potentially negative consequences of COVID-19 in the routine assistance of leprosy patients should merit special attention of the health and political authorities in underdeveloped regions with a higher prevalence of the ancient mycobacterial infection. Effective strategies are needed to protect patients and maintain the control of leprosy, while the preventive health public measures against COVID-19 are strictly followed. Pathophysiological mechanisms can be shared by leprosy and SARS-Cov 2 infection. Actually, either old or new infectious diseases should deserve enough attention by health workers, mainly whether the same population group is more prone to be affected.