State to step up TB screening amid Cov pandemic, give spl kits to check spread

Kolkata: In a bid to strengthen surveillance and control spread of tuberculosis (TB) in the state, all patients diagnosed with the disease will get Airborne Infection Control (AIC) kits. The state health department has asked all district health heads and the chief municipal health officer at Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) to procure such kits.

The step comes two days after the Union health ministry recommended dual screening of patients for both Covid and TB amidst an apprehension of a rise in number of TB cases during the pandemic.

Supply of the AIC kits will be done under the National TB Elimination programme (NTEP). The kit containing five pieces of double layered cotton masks, two pieces of spittoons and phenyl, will be given to each microbiologically confirmed TB patient.

“Due to the pandemic, TB screening has taken a backseat. We will now intensify screening patients to detect the infection. This AIC kit is one of the measures under NTEP to prevent the infected from transmitting the virus,” said a state government official.

According to the Union health ministry, there was about 25% decline in notifications for TB in 2020 due to pandemic restrictions.

State health officials also said that as Covid-19 took the centre stage, TB burden could have escalated in the state as everywhere else.

According to pulmonologist Raja Dhar of CMRI, wearing masks during Covid has helped lower chances of TB transmission. “At the same time, TB screening has come down drastically during the pandemic due to which undiagnosed cases in the community could be on the rise. Moreover, someone who has been infected by Covid is susceptible to any secondary infection including TB. Therefore, mask could go a long way in controlling the spread.” said Dhar who is the director of the pulmonology wing.

Chest medicine specialists said that a TB infected person can transmit the bacteria to at least 15 persons when in a closed space. “A mask will prevent the bacteria from becoming airborne. The reusable masks will reduce chances of people discarding them otherwise,” said RG Kar Medical College respiratory medicine head Susmita Kundu, who is heading centre of excellence for TB.