Mumbai: During the last two months, Pulmonology Dr.
Vikas Oswal, who worked in Govandi, had witnessed a worrying trend: an increase in the number of women in the 15-30 age group that entered with heavy tuberculosis.
The diagnosis of TB in the city fell by 2020 due to covid-induced locking, with around 40,000 strange cases registered as against 60,000 pluses in 2019.
“Before Covid Pandemics, I used to see 30 new TB cases in my training every month.,” Oswal said, Which was attached to the TB control program that was running out of Shatabdi BMC Hospital in Govandi.
After Lull is induced by locking, he has seen 45 new cases a month.
“That is the cause of concern,” he said.
Most of these girls and women have severe TB diseases that affect their lungs.
“These girls live at home during locking and not in their homes that have covid or tuberculosis, but they have worried about complications,” Oswal said.
TB detection in Covid Times encouraged fears that the SARS-COV2 virus could make patients vulnerable to a series of bacterial infections, including TB.
A senior doctor at the KEM Hospital managed by BMC in Parel said: “We have seen 150 young people who need hospitalization because of poor health.
They did not report Covid history, but had SARS2 antibodies.
Some of these patients were diagnosed with TB later during the care InaP them.
“On June 14, the Kerala Public Health Department issued direction stating that post-covid patients had to undergo TB screening test four to six weeks after recovery.
Kerala Kerala Health Secretary Khobragade said “the effects of temporary immunosuppressive and lung inflammation caused by Covid-19 may lead to back / activation of Bacilli which is not active for TB disease”.
Incidentally, Govandi has the highest incidence of TB in Mumbai, which is often referred to as the capital of Indian TB.
However, pulmonologists in other parts of the city have not reported increased TB cases.
Dr.
P Prabhudesai from Lilavati Hospital said there was no increase in TB cases among post-covid-19 patients.
“In accordance with our protocol, we asked post-covid patients to undergo chest scanning a month later.
TB can be easily picked up,” he added.
The BMC TB control officer Dr.
Pranita Tipre said TB detection in 2021 has so far around 20,000.
“In 2019, we have 60,000 pluses, but we realize that one third of these patients comes from outside the BMC limit.
They cannot travel to hospitals such as JJ in Mumbai during locking in 2020, resulting in a decline in numbers,” he said.