Post-Covid, tuberculosis cases on the rise this year in Kalyan Dombivli

Compared to the last two years, the number of tuberculosis cases in Kalyan Dombivli is on the rise this year, according to the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation health department; in 2020, the number of tuberculosis cases reported was 3,456 and in 2021, it was 4,195; the number of tuberculosis cases reported this year in just two months is 434, and KDMC expects the cases to increase this year too

Compared to the last two years, the number of tuberculosis cases in Kalyan Dombivli is on the rise this year, according to the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) health department.

With the number of tuberculosis cases reported this year in just two months is 434, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation expects the cases to increase. (HT FILE)

In 2020, the number of tuberculosis cases reported was 3,456 and in 2021, it was 4,195. The number of tuberculosis cases reported this year in just two months is 434, and KDMC expects the cases to increase this year too.

One major reason for the rise is tuberculosis caused post-Covid infection. There are 5% to 10% of tuberculosis cases that are reported in post-Covid cases.

As per the KDMC records, tuberculosis cases are common among children. “Post-Covid, tuberculosis infection is on the rise. Because of this, the cases have increased in 2022 as compared to 2021 and 2020,” said Sameer Sarvankar, in-charge officer, KDMC health department.

KDMC health department undertakes a door-to-door survey of new cases in its jurisdiction every year.

“If we find symptoms of tuberculosis in anyone, we ensure that the person is given treatment on time. We are also appealing to the people to take care of children infected with Covid even after their recovery. In case of any symptoms, they should be taken to the nearby hospital without delay,” added Sarvankar.

As per the KDMC guidelines, if a person is suffering from cough for two continuous weeks, loss of appetite and fever, and if the person has just recovered from Covid, then the person should immediately get checked or consult a doctor.

“The rise in tuberculosis is because of people ignoring health and attributing the fever or other symptoms to some other viral fever, to apprehensions regarding going to hospital for the fear of catching Covid. TB is a disease that progresses slowly and people may relate their symptoms such as cough and fever to be part of the seasonal illness and ignore them. When these people are hospitalised with Covid, the patches that show up in lung X-rays are assumed to be those due to COVID. Thus, many of the TB cases that are now surfacing are cases that we failed to pick up earlier;” said Dr Rupinder Kaur Murjani, MD medicine.