Table 1. Comparison of baseline characteristics of all enrolled participants with tuberculosis before and during the COVID-19 pandemic.
| Variables | Before COVID-19 (n = 724) | During COVID-19 (n = 833) | Total (n = 1,557) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male | 425 (58.7) | 500 (60.0) | 925 (59.4) | 0.596 | |
| Age ≥ 65 yr | 370 (51.1) | 399 (47.9) | 769 (49.4) | 0.207 | |
| Prior TB treatment | 113 (15.6) | 140 (16.8) | 253 (16.2) | 0.522 | |
| Extrapulmonary involvement | 229 (31.6) | 312 (37.5) | 541 (34.7) | 0.016 | |
| Comorbidities | |||||
| Diabetes | 143 (19.8) | 177 (21.2) | 320 (20.6) | 0.466 | |
| Solid malignancy | 42 (5.8) | 65 (7.8) | 107 (6.9) | 0.119 | |
| Initial symptoms | |||||
| Cough ± sputum | 412 (56.9) | 417 (50.1) | 829 (53.2) | 0.007 | |
| Fever | 138 (19.1) | 189 (22.7) | 327 (21.0) | 0.080 | |
| Alarming symptomsa | 282 (39.0) | 327 (39.3) | 609 (39.1) | 0.902 | |
| NAAT performed | 633 (87.4) | 705 (84.6) | 1,338 (85.9) | 0.113 | |
| AFB smear test performed | 631 (87.2) | 699 (83.9) | 1,330 (85.4) | 0.071 | |
| Presentation delay,b days | 14 [4–32] | 11 [3–33] | 13 [4–32] | 0.077 | |
| Healthcare delay,c days | 4 [2–11] | 5 [2–13] | 5 [2–13] | 0.027 | |
Values are expressed as numbers and percentage.
Both presentation and healthcare delays were expresses as median and interquartile.
COVID-19 = coronavirus disease 2019, TB = tuberculosis, NAAT = nucleic acid amplification test, AFB = acid-fast bacilli.
aAlarming symptoms were defined as sum of chest discomfort, hemoptysis, or dyspnea; bPresentation delay was defined as period between initial onset of symptoms and the first hospital visit; cHealthcare delay was defined as period between the first hospital visit and anti-TB treatment initiation.