Análise epidemiológica do impacto da pandemia da COVID-19 nas notificações da hanseniase na região norte

Abstract

Leprosy is an infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae, affecting mainly the skin and peripheral nerves, with a chronic course. Although the leprosy detection rate showed a downward trend between 2015 and 2021, this finding may be related to the effects of the lower number of diagnoses caused by the overload of health services and restrictions during the covid pandemic -19. To analyze the impact of the covid-19 pandemic on leprosy notification in the North of the country, between the period 2015 to 2021. Descriptive study of leprosy cases, occurring in the North Region, using existing records in the Information System of Notifiable Diseases made available to the public by the Department of Informatics of the SUS, notified in the period from 2015 to 2021. The TABNET tool was used for extraction of the data and a simple descriptive statistical analysis was performed, with the aid of the BioEstat 5.3 program. The number of cases notified in Brazil and in the North Region of the country had an important reduction in the Covid-19 pandemic, in the years 2020 and 2021. Even with the lowest number of notifications during this period, the North Region is still considered with a high rate endemicity of leprosy. It is believed that the Covid-19 pandemic had a negative impact on notifications of new cases of leprosy and that over the next few years there may be a significant increase in cases due to underreporting during the period of the Covid-19 pandemic.