Covid-19 can make an individual more susceptible to developing active Tuberculosis, said the Health Ministry.
The risk of developing tuberculosis is more among the Covid-19 patients, as TB is an opportunistic infection like black fungus, the health ministry said on Saturday.
After media reports of sudden rise in cases of TB among patients who were recently infected with coronavirus, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoHFW) has recommended Tuberculosis (TB) screening for all Covid-19 positive patients and Covid-19 screening for all diagnosed TB patients.
However, MoHFW , stated that it is not yet confirmed that there has been an increase in Tuberculosis cases due to Covid-19.
The health ministry said that states and Union Territories were asked for convergence in efforts for better surveillance and track cases of TB and Covid-19, as early as August 2020.
Also, to reiterate the need for bi-directional screening of TB-Covid and TB-ILI/SARI, multiple advisories and guidance have also been issued by the health ministry.
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In a statement, the health ministry said that the case notifications for TB have decreased by about 25 per cent in 2020 due to the impact of Covid-19 related restrictions. Special efforts are being made to mitigate this impact through intensified case finding in OPD settings as well as through active case finding campaigns in the community by all states, the statement added.
Both the diseases, TB and Covid-19 are known to be infectious and primarily attack the lungs, presenting similar symptoms of cough, fever and difficulty in breathing, which can further highlight their dual morbidity. But TB has a longer incubation period and a slower onset of disease, the health ministry said.
“Furthermore, TB bacilli can be present in humans in a dormant state and has the potential to start multiplying when the individual’s immunity is compromised for any reason. The same is applicable in post-Covid scenarios, when an individual may develop decreased immunity due to the virus itself or due to the treatment, especially immune-suppressants like steroids,” the statement read.
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