Facing tuberculosis during the COVID-19 pandemic: the perspective of those who experienced it.
Thaynara Eloise Baracho de Albuquerque Farias, Hellen Cristina Sthal, Valdízia Mendes E Silva and 5 others
PMID 40105611WHAT IT FOUND
Eleven people treated for tuberculosis during the pandemic described delays, stigma, and interrupted follow-up, but also valued nearby primary care and nurse support.
Clinicians should check home visits, directly observed treatment, and accurate transmission advice.
Key findings
01Family help and nearby primary care were described as essential for continuing TB treatment while avoiding exposure when collecting medication or delivering sputum samples.
02Pandemic restrictions were linked by participants to interrupted treatment, delayed or mistaken diagnosis, and worsening illness requiring hospitalization.
03Nurse support at local health units was described as important for adherence, but some participants received incorrect transmission advice and faced stigma.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
Only 11 adults were interviewed in one Brazilian municipality, so the themes may not apply to other places or to people with different TB forms. Only adults with pulmonary TB were included, so it says little about other TB forms. Participants were selected by convenience from notification records, and people deprived of liberty or with incomplete or incorrect addresses were excluded. Interviews took place in 2024 about experiences in 2020 or 2021, so recall may be affected. Interviews averaged nine minutes and focused on a few guiding questions, so depth may be limited. The study reports experiences and themes, not measured outcomes, so it cannot show which care component caused improvement or harm. Authors reported difficulties accessing the SINAN database and incomplete or incorrectly filled data, especially addresses, which made interviews harder.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that home visits, directly observed treatment, remote follow-up, or nurse support were proven to improve TB diagnosis, adherence, or recovery. This is a small qualitative study of 11 people's experiences, and it did not compare treatments or measure outcomes.