TY - JOUR
AU - Nzawa Soko, Rebecca
AU - Burke, Rachael M.
AU - Feasey, Helena R.A.
AU - Sibande, Wakumanya
AU - Nliwasa, Marriott
AU - Henrion, Marc Y.R.
AU - Khundi, McEwen
AU - Dodd, Peter J.
AU - Ku, Chu Chang
AU - Kawalazira, Gift
AU - Choko, Augustine T.
AU - Divala, Titus
AU - Corbett, Elizabeth L.
AU - MacPherson, Peter
PY - 2021
DA - July
TI - Effects of coronavirus disease pandemic on tuberculosis notifications, Malawi
JO - Emerging Infectious Diseases
EP - 1839
VL - 27
IS - 7
DO - https://doi.org/10.3201/eid2707.210557
AB - The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic might affect tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and patient care. We analyzed a citywide electronic TB register in Blantyre, Malawi and interviewed TB officers. Malawi did not have an official COVID-19 lockdown but closed schools and borders on March 23, 2020. In an interrupted time series analysis, we noted an immediate 35.9% reduction in TB notifications in April 2020; notifications recovered to near prepandemic numbers by December 2020. However, 333 fewer cumulative TB notifications were received than anticipated. Women and girls were affected more (30.7% fewer cases) than men and boys (20.9% fewer cases). Fear of COVID-19 infection, temporary facility closures, inadequate personal protective equipment, and COVID-19 stigma because of similar symptoms to TB were mentioned as reasons for fewer people being diagnosed with TB. Public health measures could benefit control of both TB and COVID-19, but only if TB diagnostic services remain accessible and are considered safe to attend.
PB - US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
UR - https://eprints.gla.ac.uk/290540/
KW - Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ER