Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Urogenital Tuberculosis in Uzbekistan

Abstract

The objective: to determine the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the structure and course of urogenital tuberculosis (UGTB) in Uzbekistan.Subjects and Methods. A retrospective cohort comparative study of the urogenital tuberculosis structure by clinical data for 2018-2021 was carried out. The data of 2,866 patients with extrapulmonary tuberculosis were analyzed including 1,208 patients with urogenital tuberculosis.Results. Of the 1,208 patients with urogenital tuberculosis, 327 were registered in 2018, 300 in 2019, 219 in 2020 (the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic), and 362 in 2021. The smallest number of cases registered in 2020 is due to lock-out activities. In 2021, there was a 2-fold increase in the number of patients with co-morbid forms of urogenital tuberculosis versus 2019 (pre-pandemic period). The frequency of detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis in patients with urogenital tuberculosis in 2021 also increased by 4.3-5 times compared to 2019. The largest number of cases with the co-infection of urogenital tuberculosis and COVID-19 was recorded in 2020 – in 13.2% of identified patients. Concurrent urogenital tuberculosis and encrusting cystitis were observed in 4 (1.1%) patients detected in 2021. The underdetection of urogenital tuberculosis patients in 2020 resulted in the higher proportion of surgeries in 2021.