TB research amidst the COVID-19 pandemic

Graciaa, Daniel S.; Kempker, Russell R.; Sanikidze, Ekaterina; Tukvadze, S; Mikiashvili, Lali; Aspindzelashvili, Rusudan; Alkhazashvili, D; Blumberg, Henry M.; Avaliani, Zaza; Tukvadze, Nestani

doi:10.5588/ijtld.20.0830

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…Finally, research into improving the responses to TB and HIV/AIDS amidst the COVID-19 pandemic must continue [48]. This needs to be mainly focused on safely and effectively delivering the key programme activities and ensuring that patients can more easily access diagnostic, treatment and prevention services.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Real-Time Impact of COVID-19 on TB and HIV Services: The Experience and Response from Selected Health Facilities in Nairobi, Kenya

Mbithi¹,

Thekkur

Chakaya

et al. 2021

TropicalMed

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There was concern that the COVID-19 pandemic would adversely affect TB and HIV programme services in Kenya. We set up real-time monthly surveillance of TB and HIV activities in 18 health facilities in Nairobi so that interventions could be implemented to counteract anticipated declining trends. Aggregate data were collected and reported monthly to programme heads during the COVID-19 period (March 2020–February 2021) using EpiCollect5 and compared with monthly data collected during the pre-COVID period (March 2019–February 2020). During the COVID-19 period, there was an overall decrease in people with presumptive pulmonary TB (31.2%), diagnosed and registered with TB (28.0%) and in those tested for HIV (50.5%). Interventions to improve TB case detection and HIV testing were implemented from August 2020 and were associated with improvements in all parameters during the second six months of the COVID-19 period. During the COVID-19 period, there were small increases in TB treatment success (65.0% to 67.0%) and referral of HIV-positive persons to antiretroviral therapy (91.2% to 92.9%): this was more apparent in the second six months after interventions were implemented. Programmatic interventions were associated with improved case detection and treatment outcomes during the COVID-19 period, suggesting that monthly real-time surveillance is useful during unprecedented events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Real-Time Impact of COVID-19 on TB and HIV Services: The Experience and Response from Selected Health Facilities in Nairobi, Kenya

Mbithi¹,

Thekkur

Chakaya

et al. 2021

TropicalMed

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Provisional data collected by WHO from 84 countries indicate that an estimated 1.4 million fewer people received care for TB in 2020 than in 2019 [12]. Although additional analyses have been performed addressing the changes in TB notification rates since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and its worldwide effects on clinical TB services, few studies have investigated the impact of the pandemic on TB diagnostic services [13][14][15][16]. In a WHO survey conducted among 184 National Tuberculosis Programmes, 46% (85/184) respondents reported reallocation of staff at national or subnational level, 28% (52/184) reported reallocation of funding towards the COVID-19 response, and 23% (43/184) reported reallocation of GeneXpert PCR machines for SARS-CoV-2 testing.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis national reference laboratory services in the WHO European Region, March to November 2020

et al. 2021

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We assessed the impact of COVID-19 on diagnostic services for tuberculosis (TB) by national reference laboratories in the WHO European Region. Of 35 laboratories, 30 reported declines in TB sample numbers, amounting up to > 50% of the pre-COVID-19 volumes. Sixteen reported reagent or consumable shortages. Nineteen reallocated ressources to SARS-CoV-2 testing, resulting in an overall increase in workload, largely without a concomitant increase in personnel (n = 14). This poses a risk to meeting the 2025 milestones of the End TB Strategy.

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