An observational report of universal GeneXpert testing of inpatients with diagnosed or presumptive TB in the Philippines.

Background: The Philippines is a high TB and multidrug-resistant TB burden country. Although the scale-up of GeneXpert testing is occurring, the benefits of universal Xpert-Mycobacterium tuberculosis/ rifampicin (MTB/RIF) testing in inpatients have not been documented.

Methods: Routine GeneXpert testing irrespective of priority criteria for testing was conducted within a prospective cohort of all adults with known or presumptive TB admitted to a tertiary infectious diseases hospital in Manila.

Correction to: First COVID-19 infections in the Philippines: a case report.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s41182-020-00203-0.].

First COVID-19 infections in the Philippines: a case report.

Background: The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is responsible for more fatalities than the SARS coronavirus, despite being in the initial stage of a global pandemic. The first suspected case in the Philippines was investigated on January 22, 2020, and 633 suspected cases were reported as of March 1. We describe the clinical and epidemiological aspects of the first two confirmed COVID-19 cases in the Philippines, both admitted to the national infectious disease referral hospital in Manila.