Has Lockdown increased the Incidence of Tuberculosis (TB)?

Tuberculosis (TB) continues to prevail as one of the world’s deadliest infectious killers (second after COVID- 19), caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis). It is spread from sick people through the air (e.g., coughing). The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that India has the world's largest tuberculosis epidemic. In 2020, India accounted for 26% of the incident TB cases across the globe.

“In many cases, people also confused the symptoms of TB with Covid-19. During the lockdown people could not access Hospitals, as most of the hospitals converted into Covid Hospitals, so most patients with other ailments were neither accepted nor treated. The reason for increased probability of tuberculosis in post-Covid patients are factors like altered immunity, lung inflammation and stress due to Covid, use of steroids for Covid treatment and worsening of blood sugar control. Poverty and a lack of financial resources are also associated with malnutrition, poor housing conditions, substance misuse, and HIV/AIDS incidence. These factors often contribute to a weakened immune system and are accordingly correlated with a higher susceptibility to TB in india,” says Covid-19 & Tuberculosis co-relation Dr. Prasad Padwal, Pulmonologist from Apex Hospitals Mulund.

Moreover, nearly 4000 lose their lives to TB daily, and close to 28,000 people fall ill with this preventable and curable disease.

World TB Campaign

Although World Tuberculosis (TB) Day is commemorated every March 24th to raise public awareness about the devastating consequences of TB on health, social and economic factors, further efforts are mandated to end the global TB epidemic.

It is found that almost 63 million lives have been saved since the year 2000 with the global efforts against TB.

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“A comprehensive assessment is required for any fever lasting more than two weeks, or weight loss or poor appetite or prolonged cough or diarrhoea – any change in health status needs to be monitored by a qualified health professional because 27 % of the world’s TB cases have been found in India. The longer a person goes undiagnosed, and the later treatment begins, the more likely an infectious disease is to spread, sicken and kill. Many new cases of TB are attributable to five risk factors: undernutrition, HIV infection, alcohol use disorders, smoking and diabetes. TB is preventable and curable, about 85% of people who develop TB disease can be successfully treated with a 6-month drug regimen; treatment has the added benefit of curtailing onward transmission of infection. India has an TB incidence rate of 192 cases per 100,000 of population,” says Tuberculous and chest Diseases Specialist and Pulmonologist from Zynova Shalby Hospital Dr. Tanvi Bhatt, in her talk on World Tuberculosis (TB) Day.

This year, the theme of World Tuberculosis Day is “invest to End TB. Save Lives” that focuses on the need for reinforcing the commitment (investments and resources) against the fight of eradicating this disease.

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Source-Medindia