Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care Delivery in Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Oncology Providers in Africa.
Impact of COVID-19 on Cancer Care Delivery in Africa: A Cross-Sectional Survey of Oncology Providers in Africa.
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DOI：
10.1200/go.20.00569
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发表时间：
2021-03
影响因子：
4.5
通讯作者：
Vanderpuye V
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Martei YM;Rick TJ;Fadelu T;Ezzi MS;Hammad N;Quadri NS;Rodrigues B;Simonds H;Grover S;Incrocci L;Vanderpuye V
COVID-19大流行扰乱了全球的癌症治疗。关于它在非洲的影响的数据有限。本研究旨在描述COVID-19应对策略和COVID-19对非洲癌症治疗的影响，并探讨误解。我们在2020年6月至8月期间对非洲的肿瘤学提供者进行了一项基于网络的横断面调查。按收入分组进行描述性统计和比较分析。122名参与者发起了这项调查，其中来自18个非洲国家的79名受访者提供了数据。94%（70个国家中的66个）报告了国家缓解和抑制战略，各收入群体的情况类似。独特的策略包括快递服务和无人机递送癌症药物（70个中分别有9个和6个）。大多数癌症中心仍然开放，但大约75%的提供者报告说病人数量减少了。以前没有报道过对传染性的恐惧导致工作人员短缺和患者数量减少。大约三分之一的人报告说，所有癌症治疗方式都发生了改变，导致治疗延误。大多数参与者报告了癌症患者中因COVID-19确诊病例≤25例（68例中的44例，64%）和因COVID-19死亡≤5例（45例中的26例，58%）。常见的误解是，非洲人对该病毒的易感性较低（70人中有53人，占75.7%），以及该病毒在非洲炎热地区的传播减少（70人中有44人，占62.9%）。癌症患者中报告的COVID-19病例和死亡人数很少。然而，与会者注意到，由于大流行，癌症治疗出现中断和延误。此次大流行激发了为癌症患者提供量身定制的创新临床护理解决方案，可作为扩大护理和为未来大流行做准备的蓝图。持续的公共教育应消除对COVID-19的误解。由于样本量小，结果可能无法推广到整个非洲大陆。
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted cancer care globally. There are limited data of its impact in Africa. This study aims to characterize COVID-19 response strategies and impact of COVID-19 on cancer care and explore misconceptions in Africa. We conducted a web-based cross-sectional survey of oncology providers in Africa between June and August 2020. Descriptive statistics and comparative analysis by income groups were performed. One hundred twenty-two participants initiated the survey, of which 79 respondents from 18 African countries contributed data. Ninety-four percent (66 of 70) reported country mitigation and suppression strategies, similar across income groups. Unique strategies included courier service and drones for delivery of cancer medications (9 of 70 and 6 of 70, respectively). Most cancer centers remained open, but > 75% providers reported a decrease in patient volume. Not previously reported is the fear of infectivity leading to staff shortages and decrease in patient volumes. Approximately one third reported modifications of all cancer treatment modalities, resulting in treatment delays. A majority of participants reported ≤ 25 confirmed cases (44 of 68, 64%) and ≤ 5 deaths because of COVID-19 (26 of 45, 58%) among patients with cancer. Common misconceptions were that Africans were less susceptible to the virus (53 of 70, 75.7%) and decreased transmission of the virus in the African heat (44 of 70, 62.9%). Few COVID-19 cases and deaths were reported among patients with cancer. However, disruptions and delays in cancer care because of the pandemic were noted. The pandemic has inspired tailored innovative solutions in clinical care delivery for patients with cancer, which may serve as a blueprint for expanding care and preparing for future pandemics. Ongoing public education should address COVID-19 misconceptions. The results may not be generalizable to the entire African continent because of the small sample size.