Punjab starts testing Covid symptomatic patients for TB

AMRITSAR: The Punjab government on Friday decided to conduct medical tests for tuberculosis (TB), a serious bacterial disease that affects the lungs, along with the Covid-19 tests of all symptomatic patients in the state.

The health officials say since people get similar symptoms for Covid-19 and TB and as both the diseases are fatal, Covid-19 symptomatic people in the state will now also be tested for TB. Also, the patients who will first get tested for TB, will have to get Covid-19 tests done.

“In June, the Punjab health department had launched a door-to-door campaign to medically screen all residents in the state for Covid-19 as part of a community surveillance project. Under this house-to-house surveillance project, the Covid-19 symptomatic patents are being tested for the disease and the state government is maintaining a record of co-morbidities of every person, above the age of 30. In an effort to detect the tuberculosis patients in the state at an early stage, the medical teams will now conduct tuberculosis tests for every Covid-19 symptomatic patients,” said state Covid-19 nodal officer Dr Rajesh Bhaskar.

As per data from the health department, Punjab had recorded 58,000 tuberculosis cases in 2019 on an average. Also, over 2,000 people in the state die of tuberculosis every year.

“Since people diagnosed with tuberculosis suffer from cough and fever, and Covid-19 infection also shows similar symptoms, there is a high chance that Covid-19 patients also suffer from

TB, or vice versa. Under the surveillance project, the health department has already screened over 39 lakh population in the state, till now, and has maintained their record. Many symptomatic people were tested for Covid-19 and among them, some were tested positive,” said Dr Bhaskar.

“The medical teams in all districts have been directed to conduct tuberculosis tests along with Covid-19. The TB tests and treatment is also free of cost from the government hospitals. The 39 lakh population will not be tested again but if anyone will show symptoms, they will be tested for both diseases. We aim to complete the surveillance project till July 15”, Dr Bhaskar added.

LUDHIANA WORST HIT WITH TB

“Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, many of tuberculosis patients remained undiagnosed and this is a worrisome situation as the disease has serious outcomes and can increase transmission in the community. As per records, 182 people after every one lakh population in Amritsar are TB patients. Ludhiana, with 190 persons per lakh population, is the worst-affected district in the state,” said Dr Naresh Chawla, nodal officer for TB in Amritsar, adding that on average, district records 425 TB cases, monthly.

SINCE PEOPLE GET SIMILAR SYMPTOMS FOR COVID-19 AND TUBERCULOSIS, CORONA SYMPTOMATIC PEOPLE WILL NOW ALSO BE TESTED FOR TB