Multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis in COVID-19 pandemic period, Dushanbe

Abstract

Aim. To evaluate the shifts in demographic, clinical, and epidemiological characteristics of patients with multidrugresistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) amidst the COVID-19 pandemic.Materials and Methods. A cross-sectional study was conducted on patients with MDR TB registered in Dushanbe, before (2017-2019) and during the COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021).Results. The average age of patients prior to the COVID-19 pandemic was 36.5±16.9 years (1.7-79.4), whereas during the COVID-19 period, it was 34.4±17 years (2.9-80.2). The pandemic era witnessed a statistically significant rise in the proportion of workers among MDR TB patients compared to the unemployed (OR = 1.4; 95% CI 1.02-1.91; p = 0.05). Furthermore, an increase was observed in the proportion of patients with lung destruction in both newly diagnosed (OR 3.4; 95% CI 1.99–5.87; p<0.001) and previously treated patients (OR 4.2; 95% CI 1.38–12.99; p =0.002). There was also an increase in extrapulmonary tuberculosis registration (OR=1.7; 95% CI 1.34-2.22; p<0.001), indicating an unfavorable epidemiological situation in terms of MDR-TB. However, there were no statistically significant changes in the registration of concomitant diseases.Conclusion. We recommend the improvement of TB infection prevention and control measures at all levels, as well as the enhancement of early detection of TB and MDR TB patients by primary health care workers.