Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the epidemiology of tuberculosis and its temporal trend in the State of São Paulo.

• Grant number: 24/04001-6
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: September 01, 2024
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Nursing - Public Health Nursing
• Principal Investigator: Ricardo Alexandre Arcêncio
• Grantee: Nathalia Zini
• Host Institution: Escola de Enfermagem de Ribeirão Preto (EERP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 22/08510-7 - Interaction and effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on Tuberculosis control in the State of São Paulo: political-social, clinical-epidemiological aspects and innovative practices, AP.TEM

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) became the leading cause of death from infectious diseases worldwide in 2015, and the disruption of essential health services due to the pandemic directly influenced the years of progress against tuberculosis in Brazil, both in diagnosis and treatment, as well as in human and financial resources in essential health services. Thus, the study aims to assess the temporal trend of COVID-19 and tuberculosis cases and deaths in the municipalities of the state of São Paulo. This is a descriptive and exploratory epidemiological study, which will be conducted in the state of São Paulo. The study will be divided into two stages: in the first stage, data on TB cases and deaths will be collected from SINAN and COVID-19 data from those available in the Coronavirus Panel; in the second stage, all cases identified in the first stage will be grouped according to the month of notification, and some quantitative variables will be analyzed, considering changes in rates according to the notification location. All data analyses will be performed using RStudio® version 1.2.1335 software, utilizing the forecast library, and STATA version 14. It is expected that the study will provide insight into the epidemiology and impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB control, and provide evidence and answers regarding the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and its epidemiological correlation in TB control, enabling the setting of goals and benchmarks for significant reductions in TB incidence, deaths, and costs to patients and their families.