Health-Related Quality of Life of Tuberculosis Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Conakry, Guinea: A Mixed Methods Study

Touré, Almamy Amara; Magassouba, Aboubacar Sidiki; Camara, G.N.N.L.; Doumbouya, Abdoulaye; Cissé, Demba; Barry, Ibrahima; Camara, Lansana Mady; Béavogui, Abdoul Habib; Délamou, Alexandre; Veronese, Vanessa; Merle, Corinne; Traoré, Hugues Asken; Bangoura, Adama Marie

doi:10.3390/tropicalmed7090224

Cited by 3 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…COVID-19 lockdown policies damaged social support systems [53], and while some participants had isolated from loved ones during the beginning of their TB treatment, the duration was shorter. This is especially concerning given the additional psychological impacts attributed to COVID-19 pandemic on TB patients, who tend to already be vulnerable [54,55]. The lockdown further resulted in isolation and consequent rumination.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The lived experiences of Tuberculosis survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic and government lockdown in South Africa: a qualitative analysis

Scheunemann

Moolla

Mongwenyana

et al. 2023

Preprint

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Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health concern in South Africa, where prior to COVID-19 it was associated with more deaths than any other infectious disease. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted gains made in the global response to TB, having a serious impact on the most vulnerable. COVID-19 and TB are both severe respiratory infections, where infection with the one place individuals at increased risk for negative health outcomes for the other. Even after completing TB treatment, TB survivors remain economically vulnerable and continue to be negatively affected by TB.Methods This cross-sectional qualitative study, which was part of a larger longitudinal study in South Africa, explored how TB survivors’ experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions. Participants were identified through purposive sampling and were recruited and interviewed at a large public hospital in Gauteng. Data were analyzed thematically, using a constructivist research paradigm and both inductive and deductive codebook development.Results Participants (n = 11) were adults (24–74 years of age; more than half male or foreign nationals) who had successfully completed treatment for pulmonary TB in the past two years. Participants were generally found to be physically, socioeconomically, and emotionally vulnerable, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating or causing a recurrence of many of the same stressors they had faced with TB. Coping strategies during COVID similarly mirrored those used during TB diagnosis and treatment, including social support, financial resources, distraction, spirituality, and inner strength.Conclusions Implications and suggestions for future directions include fostering and maintaining a strong network of social support for TB survivors.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The lockdown further resulted in isolation and consequent rumination. TB alone can be an emotionally and physically isolating experience, and the specter of COVID-19 reignited fears of stigmatization and social anxiety [54,55].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The lived experiences of Tuberculosis survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic and government lockdown in South Africa: a qualitative analysis

Scheunemann

Moolla

Mongwenyana

et al. 2023

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…COVID-19 lockdown policies damaged social support systems [ 54 ], and while some participants had isolated themselves from loved ones during the beginning of their TB treatment the duration was shorter. This is especially concerning given the additional psychological impacts attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic on TB patients, who tend to already be vulnerable [ 55 , 56 ]. The lockdown further resulted in isolation and consequent rumination.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The lived experiences of tuberculosis survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic and government lockdown in South Africa: a qualitative analysis

Scheunemann,

Moolla,

Mongwenyana

et al. 2023

BMC Public Health

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Background Tuberculosis (TB) is a major health concern in South Africa, where prior to COVID-19 it was associated with more deaths than any other infectious disease. The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted gains made in the global response to TB, having a serious impact on the most vulnerable. COVID-19 and TB are both severe respiratory infections, where infection with one places individuals at increased risk for negative health outcomes for the other. Even after completing TB treatment, TB survivors remain economically vulnerable and continue to be negatively affected by TB. Methods This cross-sectional qualitative study, which was part of a larger longitudinal study in South Africa, explored how TB survivors’ experienced the COVID-19 pandemic and government restrictions. Participants were identified through purposive sampling and were recruited and interviewed at a large public hospital in Gauteng. Data were analyzed thematically, using a constructivist research paradigm and both inductive and deductive codebook development. Results Participants (n = 11) were adults (24–74 years of age; more than half male or foreign nationals) who had successfully completed treatment for pulmonary TB in the past two years. Participants were generally found to be physically, socioeconomically, and emotionally vulnerable, with the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbating or causing a recurrence of many of the same stressors they had faced with TB. Coping strategies during COVID similarly mirrored those used during TB diagnosis and treatment, including social support, financial resources, distraction, spirituality, and inner strength. Conclusions Implications and suggestions for future directions include fostering and maintaining a strong network of social support for TB survivors.

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The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients’ experiences obtaining a tuberculosis diagnosis in Peru: a mixed-methods study

et al. 2022

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Background The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted TB services worldwide, leading to diagnostic delays. There have been few published reports describing how the pandemic affected people’s pathway to diagnosis from their own perspectives. We sought to evaluate the impact on the pandemic on people’s experiences obtaining a TB diagnosis. Methods We performed a mixed-methods study, enrolling newly diagnosed TB patients from 12 health centers in Lima, Peru. We used structured surveys to quantify diagnostic delay, defined as the time between symptom onset and diagnosis, and in-depth interviews to understand the ways in which the pandemic affected the pathway to care. We compared diagnostic delay between patients enrolled during the first year of the pandemic to those diagnosed after using a Wilcoxon rank-sum test. We used an inductive content analysis approach to analyze interview content related to the pandemic. Results We enrolled 51 patients during November 2020–April 2021 (during the first year of the pandemic) and 49 patients during October 2021–February 2022. Median diagnostic delay was longer for patients diagnosed during the first year of the pandemic (median 15 [IQR 5–26] weeks compared to 6 [IQR 3–18] weeks, p = 0.027). Qualitative analysis of 26 interviews revealed that the pandemic affected participants’ care-seeking behavior and their ability to access to TB diagnostic services, particularly for those diagnosed in the first year of the pandemic. Many participants initially had their symptoms attributed to COVID-19, resulting in delayed TB evaluation and additional costs for COVID-19 treatment. Conclusions The COVID-19 pandemic impacted multiple steps in the pathway to care for TB patients in Lima, causing delays in TB diagnosis. These findings demonstrate how the shifting of health care resources to prioritize COVID-19 can lead to collateral damage for people with TB and other conditions.

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Health-Related Quality of Life of Tuberculosis Patients during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Conakry, Guinea: A Mixed Methods Study

Cited by 3 publications

References 27 publications

The lived experiences of Tuberculosis survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic and government lockdown in South Africa: a qualitative analysis

The lived experiences of Tuberculosis survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic and government lockdown in South Africa: a qualitative analysis

The lived experiences of tuberculosis survivors during the COVID-19 pandemic and government lockdown in South Africa: a qualitative analysis

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients’ experiences obtaining a tuberculosis diagnosis in Peru: a mixed-methods study

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