Tuberculosis screening in children:the impact of covid19 pandemic

<bold>Introduction:</bold> COVID19 had affected the normal course of various preventive actions, with disruptions expected to continue for some time. For Tuberculosis (TB) screening in children, early detection and treatment is key to improved morbid-mortality. <bold>Method:</bold> a retrospective study realized in 287 children between 2019 and 2023: before (2019), during (2020-2022), and after the pandemic (2023), who consulted for TB screening in the pediatric department B of Abderrahmen Mami hospital of Ariana. <bold>Results:</bold> Pre-COVID, data from 128 children showed an average age of 5.25 years. Various contamination sources were identified, with 0.8% having no identifiable source, while 29.7% were linked to mothers, 21.9% to fathers, and smaller percentages to other relatives. Promiscuity was high (94.5%), with significant TB incidence(13.4%) and primary TB infection (22.7%).A substantial portion received chemoprophylaxis (78.9%), with 63.3% deemed healthy, and 42.2% receiving systematic chemoprophylaxis. During the COVID period, there was 105 children with an average age of 5.57 years, and promiscuity decreased to 71.4%. TB cases also declined to 8.6%, with similar rates of primary TB infection (22.9%). 19% received systematic chemoprophylaxis. Post-COVID data from 51 children indicated reduced promiscuity (58%) and TB cases (1.9%), with a slight increase in primary TB infection(24.5%). Chemoprophylaxis rates declined to 3.8%, highlighting changing preventive measures, with 9.4% receiving systematic chemoprophylaxis <bold>conclusion:</bold> This study highlights the significant impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB screening in pediatric populations. Vigilance is crucial to reduce TB transmission and protect children's health in changing healthcare landscapes