The Impact of COVID-19 Epidemic on Tuberculosis Reports Among Students - Guizhou Province, China, 2020.

What is already known about this topic?: In 2020, the implementation of non-medical interventions during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) epidemic has created a negative impact on tuberculosis (TB) control. It is unclear if the prevalence of TB among students in Guizhou Province was also affected. What is added by this report?: Among TB cases, the proportion of student TB patients was 19.91% in the back-to-school period in 2020, which was higher than the 13.37% registered in 2017-2019, but this decreased in the COVID-19 pandemic period. The time interval between symptom onset and care-seeking of the student TB patients was the shortest in the back-to-school and physical check-up periods. What are the implications for public health practice?: TB active screening was effective for timely detection and diagnosis of TB among students, which could prevent TB outbreaks in schools.