What is already known about this topic?: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic could have a damaging impact on access to tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis and treatment.
What is added by this report?: The overall delay experienced by TB patients during the COVID-19 pandemic has shown a modest decrease in comparison to the period before the pandemic. Notably, higher patient delays were observed among agricultural workers and those identified through passive case-finding methods. Furthermore, the patient delay in eastern regions was shorter compared to western and central regions.
What are the implications for public health practice?: The observed increase in patient delay in 2022 should be of concern for ongoing TB control efforts. Health education and active screening initiatives must be enhanced and broadened among high-risk populations and regions characterized by extended patient delays.
Keywords: Delays; Doi: 10.46234/ccdcw2023.038; Notification; Tuberculosis.
Copyright and License information: Editorial Office of CCDCW, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2023.