Tuberculosis Diagnosed In 151 Covid-Recovered Individuals In Karnataka
Update: 2021-09-21 13:09 IST
For representational purposes
Karnataka: A month-long tuberculosis survey in Karnataka discovered 225 cases of the disease. There are 151 Covid-19 recovered patients and 74 contacts of such patients among the 225 cases. Between August 16 and September 11, the Health and Family Welfare Department performed a one-time house-to-house survey, screening 7,66,137 persons. The largest number of TB cases were reported in Bengaluru city (44), Ballari (25), Mysuru (14), Chitradurga (13), Kalaburagi (13), and Koppal (13). There were no TB cases reported in Vijayapura, Kolar, or Yadgir.
Dr Ramesh Reddy, state joint director of TB said that the patients were infected with Covid between January and June of this year. They've been on TB treatment for six months straight, with no chance of going off track. If they don't have their tablets, ASHA workers come to their houses. They must return the used tablet strips to us as soon as they are finished so that we can keep track of them. In addition, as part of a Union Government scheme, they are provided Rs 500 for nutritional expenses.
Steroids like Tocilizumab, which are administered to Covid patient, depress the immune system, allowing latent tuberculosis to resurface.Dr Ravindra Mehta, Senior Consultant and HoD, Pulmonology and Interventional Pulmonology, Apollo Speciality Hospital, said, that it will be fascinating to see how many of the TB patients discovered in this study had mild to moderate Covid and were on steroids.