Effect of pandemic on DOTS treatment during COVID-19 lockdown- A cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Tuberculosis (TB) is still the most common infectious disease globally, affecting 1.5 million people per year. Prior to COVID-19 outbreak, India was struggling with a rampant attack of Tuberculosis. With the surge of COVID-19 implementation of all national health programs including NTEP was disrupted. Prioritization of services, the challenges to reaching all types of communities and the role of stigmatization, and the possibility of increased disease transmission were few problems in the implementation of DOTS during the lockdown. AIM: To assess effect of pandemic on DOTS treatment during COVID-19 lockdown. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 254 tuberculosis patients who were under DOTS during Covid-19 lockdown in Belagavi district. Participants who were on DOTS during 2019-2021 period. RESULT: Of 254 participants, only 5 (2.0%) were supervised while taking drugs, 67 (26.4%) of subject's empty blister packs were taken back by health personnel and 106 (41.7%) participants were regularly followed up for treatment by health department. The variables like gender, literacy status, socioeconomic status, and occupation were all significantly associated with hampered access to DOTS during the lockdown period at p < 0.05. CONCLUSION: This study concluded that the participants had hampered accessibilities to DOTS during lockdown.

Waning of Antibody Response Among Vaccinees who Received Two Doses of Covishield Vaccine.

Introduction: There are limited data available on the long-term presence of SARS-CoV-2-specific binding antibodies and neutralizing antibodies in circulation among the elderly population. This study aims to examine levels of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in vaccines who have completed at least 6 months since the second vaccine dose. A cross-sectional study was conducted from November 2021 to January 2022 among 199 vaccines aged 60 years and above residing in Belagavi city, who received two doses of the Covishield vaccine. Methods: Antibody response to SARS-COV-2 virus whole cell antigen was measured by a kit COVID KAWACH IgG Micro LISA (J Mitra and Company, India) in 199 participants who had completed at least 6 months after receiving the second dose of Covishield vaccine. The antibody response was measured as a ratio of optical density (OD) in the participant's sample to the mean OD in negative control test by normal (T/N). Independent Kruskal-Wallis test was applied to test the difference between the T/N ratio by months of vaccination since the second dose and by the age group strata. Results: The median T/N values among participants who completed 6, 7, 8, and 9 months since the second vaccine dose were 14.17, 10.46, 7.93, and 5.11, respectively, and this decline in T/N values was statistically significant. Antibody response values showed a decline with increasing age for participants in the age strata 60-69, 70-79, and 80 and above, respectively. Conclusions: A significant decline was observed in antibody response over 9 months supporting the administration of booster dose of vaccine.