Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on tuberculosis services

• Autor(a) principal: Rodrigues, I
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Aguiar, A, Migliori, GB, Duarte, R
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Repositório Científico de Acesso Aberto de Portugal (Repositórios Cientìficos)
• Texto Completo: https://hdl.handle.net/10216/151501
• topic: COVID-19; Diagnostic delay; Directly observed therapy (DOT); Infection control; Tuberculosis; Workplace safety

Background: In Portugal, Outpatient Tuberculosis Centres (OTBC) are responsible for the diagnosis, treatment, screening and prevention of tuberculosis (TB), and only severe or resistant cases are hospitalized. Aim: To understand how infection control norms and standards were applied and how these centres responded during the pandemic. Method: We sent an electronic questionnaire to all coordinators of OTBC. The questionnaire included questions on infection control during the COVID-19 pandemic and evaluation of the functioning of the OTBC in two periods: during the 1st National State of Emergency and after 1 year. Results: Thirty-two responses were obtained (52.5%). The infection control norms were globally applied; diagnosis, treatment, and prevention were kept, and contact screening was only affected during the 1st State of Emergency. However, half of the respondents (53.1%) believed that there were diagnostic delays during the 1st State of Emergency, rising to 68.8% after 1 year. Only 31.3% performed Directly Observed Therapy (DOT) in all patients during the 1st State of Emergency, and 59.4% after 1 year. Half the inquiries expected an increase in TB incidence in the near future. Conclusion: The pandemic affected OTBC functioning, although the services were kept open; diagnostic delay and DOT appliance were the most affected. © 2022 Sociedade Portuguesa de Pneumologia