Influence of COVID-19 on the notification of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis cases

Abstract

Background To analyze the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on the process of diagnosis and monitoring of drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) cases reported in the state of Paraná, Brazil, from 2015 to 2020. Methods Ecological study with quantitative approach. This study was based on diagnosed cases of pulmonary TB reported in the Notifiable Disease Information System in residents of Paraná; as well as through the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the state epidemiological bulletin for the year 2020. The study data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results It was found that, although the number of reported pulmonary TB cases (drug-resistant and general) increased between 2015 and 2019, there was a drop in notification in 2020, the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic. The notification of TB cases was also influenced monthly during the year according to the increase in the number of COVID-19 cases. For cases of drug-resistant pulmonary TB, the provision of diagnostic tests and Directly Observed Treatment decreased by more than half in 2020, especially when compared to 2019. Conclusions In view of these findings, the influence of COVID-19 on the diagnosis and monitoring of drug-resistant and general pulmonary TB cases is evident, showing that the pandemic has compromised the advances of recent decades in achieving the goals established for its eradication by 2035.

Tuberculosis incidence in Brazil: time series analysis between 2001 and 2021 and projection until 2030

“…These factors, which are beyond the scope of this research, can affect the accuracy of the model forecasts. The COVID-19 pandemic may have affected the expected reporting pattern between 2020 and 2021 23 . To mitigate this limitation, the total results were compared with an analysis that excluded this period in the assessment of model accuracy.…”

The impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on tuberculosis notifications and deaths in the state of São Paulo, Brazil: a cross-sectional study

“…Previous studies about the impact of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic on tuberculosis control in Brazil examined the number of tuberculosis notifications at national or regional levels or within prison populations, with many evaluating only the first year of the pandemic. 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 Other studies aimed to evaluate patients' and healthcare workers’ perceptions on barriers to tuberculosis treatment during the pandemic. 17 , 18 Overall, there was little information on patient-associated variables.…”