The Influence of the COVID‑19 Pandemic on the Detection, Diagnosis and Treatment in the Republic of North Ossetia — Alania

Abstract

Introduction. Prioritization of measures to contain the COVID-19 pandemic has led to a decrease in the coverage and intensity of TB control activities.The aim of study to assess the indicators of detection, diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic in the Republic of North Ossetia-Alania and compare them with those at the all-Russian level.Materials and methods. A preliminary collection of statistical information in Russian and several foreign sources closest to the topic was carried out on the PubMed, ResearchGate, ScienceDirect, CyberLeninka and eLibrary platforms. An analysis of the epidemiology of tuberculosis in North Ossetia for 2020–2021 was performed. according to annual reporting forms and reports from epidemiological monitoring systems for tuberculosis.Results. The detection rate of tuberculosis has decreased during the pandemic. The indicator in North Ossetia was higher than the national level. Clinical and diagnostic indicators for tuberculosis in the republic in 2020 were lower compared to those for 2021 for the study of sputum, decay phase, and bacterial excretion. The proportion of successful tuberculosis chemotherapy in the republic was higher than in a number of regions of the Russia.Discussion. There was a decrease in registered and, obviously, accumulation of latent cases of tuberculosis during the COVID 19 2020 pandemic due to a drop in preventive coverage of the population in the Russia. A worsening of the clinical structure of tuberculosis in 2021 in Republic of North Ossetia and an increase in the proportion of patients with destruction of lung tissue and the fibrous-cavernous type of disease in the Russia are revealed, possibly due to untimely detection of tuberculosis.Conclusion. Low activity of primary health care organizations regarding tuberculosis was revealed. Restrictions to prevent the spread of the SARS-CoV-2 pathogen contributed to a decrease in the coverage and intensity of anti-tuberculosis measures. The COVID-19 pandemic clearly affected the rates of primary diagnosis of tuberculosis in 2020, and in 2021 a significant increase was noted.