Effects of COVID-19 on national tuberculosis elimination programme strategies during March to May 2020 on Tumkur district, India
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18203/2319-2003.ijbcp20212921Keywords:
National tuberculosis elimination program, COVID-19, Pandemic, TuberculosisAbstract
Background: the nation-wide lockdown due global pandemic has disrupted a vital strategic intervention resulting in overall 60% decrease in presumptive and diagnostic TB cases during the lockdown period.
Methods: A discrete choice experimental (DCE) exploratory operational research conducted during March to May 2020.
Results: Health care services were affected 25% reduction in the outpatient department (OPD) in comparison to the previous year the same period. A gradual reduction in negative sputum cases undergoing chest radiography from 54% to 14%. Due to restricted movement LPA tests have been reduced 25% among the diagnosed TB cases, and private referrals to cartridge based nucleic acid amplification test (CBNAAT) services were reduced to 20%.
Conclusions: Health services, including national programmes to combat TB, need to be actively engaged in ensuring an effective and rapid response to COVID-19 while ensuring that TB services are maintained. While experience on COVID-19 infection in TB patients remains limited, it is anticipated that people ill with both TB and COVID-19 may have poorer treatment outcomes, especially if TB treatment is interrupted. TB patients should take precautions as advised by health authorities to be protected from COVID-19 and continue their TB treatment as prescribed.
Metrics
References
Jain VK, Iyengar KP, Samy DA, Vaishya R. Tuberculosis in the era of COVID-19 in India. Diabetes Metabolic Syndrome: Clin Rese Reviews. 2020;14(5):1439-43.
ICMR, PHFI and I. Karnataka: Disease Burden Profile, 1990-2016. India Heal Nation’s States-India State-Level Dis Burd Initiat New Delhi. 2017;5-8.
Soekhai V, de Bekker-Grob EW, Ellis AR, Vass CM. Discrete Choice Experiments in Health Economics: Past, Present and Future. Pharmacoeconomics. 2019;37(2):201-26.
Lavrakas P. Interviewer Debriefing. In: Encyclopedia of Survey Research Methods. Sage Publications, Inc. 2013.
Tumkur District Population (2019/2020), District Talukas List, Karnataka. Available from: http://www.indiagrowing.com/Karnataka/Tumkur_District. Accessed on 2020 Jun 7.
Government of India. Advisory from Central TB Division. Available from: https://tbcindia.gov.in/WriteReadData/AdvisoryDDStatesUTs.pdf. Accessed on 2020 Jun 7.
