New diseases and old threats: the impact of COVID-19 on tuberculosis management

Abstract

This reflection aimed to discuss the interference of fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in the maintenance of tuberculosis management and control actions in Brazil, highlighting the crucial role of nursing in this process. TB is considered an important public health problem in the country, which registered, in 2019, more than 73 thousand new cases and about 4500 deaths due to the disease in 2018. In these unusual times, when COVID-19 dominates health practices, due to the enormous impact that both TB and COVID-19 have, it is necessary to reinforce the existence and coexistence of both TB and COVID-19, to take into account the organization of the health system and the fundamental role of nursing in order to manage adequately affected people and prevent the further spread of both diseases. Therefore, the importance of raising individual information of people undergoing TB treatment in the various services of the SUS care network is reinforced, adapting the forms of contact and bonding according to the possibilities of the services and people affected by the disease.