Change of Tuberculosis Incidence in an International Border Province during COVID-19 Outbreak: Observation from Highly Endemic Area of Multidrug-resistant Tuberculosis

Sir, The main public health issue facing the world today is still pulmonary tuberculosis (TB). Several regions of the world continue to be plagued by the disease. Multidrug-resistant TB is the issue that needs to be prioritized in Indochina because it is still a problem there. The local policy calls for widespread screening and early disease treatment. The COVID-19 outbreak is currently a major issue in Indochina. In chronological order, this region is the second to be impacted by COVID-19 after China.[1] It is conceivable for COVID-19 and TB to coexist in areas where the disease is endemic.[2] The association between the COVID-19 epidemic and the trend of TB in the endemic area makes for an intriguing research subject. The authors of this essay share and analyze observations made in an Indochina border district. The location (GPS: 16.731372, 98.522796) is one where multidrug-resistant TB is highly common.[3] Table 1 displays the prevalence of TB in this region before and after the implementation of COVID-19. After the initiation of COVID-19 in this region, there is a pattern of rising TB incidence. The previous study indicated that the reported incidence of TB during the COVID-19 outbreak was declining in some locations.[4] The COVID-19 pandemic has made it more challenging for people to seek medical attention, and there may have been underreporting as well, according to Pavlovic et al.[4] However, in the current environment, the routine program for managing TB has continued unabatedly throughout the COVID-19 outbreak. The reported rise in TB cases in this border province may indicate the potential resurgence of the disease following the COVID-19 pandemic.Table 1: The incidence of tuberculosis in this area pre- and postbeginning of COVID-19*Financial support and sponsorship Nil. Conflicts of interest There are no conflicts of interest.