Impact of lockdown restrictions on treatment of leprosy: A retrospective analysis

Context: 

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has shown the potential to affect the life of people all over the world either directly or indirectly.

Aim: 

To assess the impact of lockdown measures on treatment of leprosy among patients who received treatment from a tertiary referral centre.

Settings and Design: 

A retrospective study was conducted at the dermatology department of a tertiary referral centre.

Materials and Methods: 

We did a retrospective analysis of case records of patients with leprosy who received treatment from our tertiary referral centre from 01 March 2020 to 31 May 2021.

Results: 

During the 15-month period, 59 patients received multi-drug therapy (MDT) for leprosy from our centre. Thirty-two patients (54.2%) were already receiving MDT as on March 2020, and 27 others (45.8%) were diagnosed with leprosy and started on MDT during the period from March 2020 to May 2021. Two patients (3.4%) developed COVID-19 while on MDT. When lockdown measures were implemented, 12 patients (12/59, 20.3%) discontinued treatment, citing conveyance difficulties. Three patients (3/59, 5.1%) were lost to follow-up.

Limitations: 

Small sample size and reliance on retrospective data from a single centre were the major limitations of the study.

Conclusion: 

A conscious effort is needed from healthcare professionals and the government to ensure that implementation of national programmes is not adversely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.