TB detected in people who recovered from COVID, Karnataka govt calls for detailed study

KEY STORY

• Karnataka Health Minister Dr K Sudhakar has asked for a detailed study and report on Covid infected people who have been diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB). In Karnataka, there were 243 such cases in 2021. Speaking at an event organised by the Health Department on ‘World TB Day’, Dr Sudhakar said that for the first time in India, TB screening has been conducted by the government for those who have recovered from Covid in the state.

• “There are around 38.02 lakh individuals screened among Covid recovered individuals and their households and 243 new TB cases were identified,” says the TB report from Karnataka. However, Dr Sudhakar said, “TB has been detected among several people who have recovered from Covid. Among 25 lakh people tested, 144 people were found to have TB. These people have contracted TB after recovering from Covid.”

• Experts said that severe Covid infection has damaged the lungs of a lot of people as the viral infection starts by targeting the respiratory system. The damage done to the lungs persists even after they recover from Covid. Covid has the potential to reactivate tuberculosis, said pulmonologist Dr Sanjay Kumar. He says a cough that refuses to quieten down for weeks or months after recovering from Covid could either be a symptom of long Covid or could also be TB. “Hence, the state government has sought a detailed report on this,” said Dr Sudhakar.

• TB, like COVID-19, is a contagious disease. COVID-19 is caused by a virus and TB is caused by bacteria. The WHO has said that the entire world must be made TB-free by 2030. However, the Union government has aimed to make India TB-free much before that by 2025. This cannot be done just by doctors and the government. The entire society needs to join hands and work collectively to achieve this target, he said.

CONCLUSION

Instead of starting treatment after the disease gets severe, treatment must be initiated at the initial stage as soon as symptoms become apparent. People must undergo a test if any of these symptoms are seen – cough for more than two weeks, fevers in the evening, sudden weight loss etc. All government hospitals have facilities to conduct TB tests. People must go to the hospitals and get the test done. If detected early, the treatment given will be more effective, he said.

In rural areas, people don’t get tested even if they are unwell. One TB patient can spread the disease to at least 10 people. If this happens, one person’s negligence will end up harming others. So, a lot more awareness has to be created about TB, he said. The state government is spending more than Rs 5 crore every year to create awareness about diseases.