Facing tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic: the perspective of those who experienced it

Enfrentamiento de la tuberculosis durante la pandemia de COVID-19: la perspectiva de las personas que la experimentaron

Objectives:  to understand the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on the management of tuberculosis, from the perspective of individuals who experienced the disease during this period.

Methods:  this is a descriptive study with a qualitative approach. Eleven individuals participated in the study, and semi-structured interviews were conducted. The data were processed using the IRAMUTEQ software (Interface de R pour les Analyses Multidimensionnelles de Textes et de Questionnaires) and analyzed using content analysis techniques, as proposed by Bardin.

Results:  four categories emerged, through which it was possible to identify that the pandemic contributed to generating or exacerbating programmatic and social vulnerabilities, such as the lack of home visits and Directly Observed Treatment, treatment interruption, delays, and errors in diagnosis, as well as stigmatization.

Final Considerations:  There is an inferred need to strengthen policies and investments to ensure that tuberculosis control and monitoring actions are maintained, even during public health crises.

Descriptors:
Tuberculoses; Pandemic; COVID-19; Health Vulnerability; Public Health