Before the
advent of Covid-19, tuberculosis (TB) was the global lead in terms of mortality
caused by infectious diseases. According to the available data, almost 25T of
the global population had TB in 2019. It has also been accused of taking away
almost 4,000 lives every day. However, at the same time, TB treatment was
gaining momentum over the past few decades. In 2018 and 2019 only, over 14 million
people received TB treatment globally. This progress came to a halt with the
emergence of Covid-19 around the world. The disruption in health services
caused by the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns led to a surge in TB cases
throughout the globe. In addition to that, as a result of the Covid-19 related
restrictions, case notification for TB decreased by 25% in 2020 in India.
Central
Nervous System tuberculosis involves significant morbidity and mortality. It
has been found that the prevalence of TB within a community can lead to the
incidence of CNS-TB and almost 10% of TB patients develop neurotuberculosis. As
a matter of fact, tubercular meningitis, tuberculoma, and PottÂs disease are
some of the manifestations of CNS-TB. It can cause several neurological
disorders which is why Dr. Shailesh
Jain, a
senior consultant neurosurgeon of Max Hospital Shalimar bagh, is making sure
that people are aware of the risks involved with TB, especially during this
pandemic when the health sector is facing severe adversities.
Even though
there is still no proper evidence on the direct relationship between Covid-19
and tuberculosis, it cannot be denied that an infection like TB can take the
advantage of the impaired immunity in Covid patients. Therefore, a Covid-19 can
make people more susceptible to a deadly disease like TB. At the same time,
both the diseases attack the human lungs contributing to the dual morbidity of
Covid-19 and TB. Following this, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare of
India has provided the directive of Tb screening for all Covid19 patients and
Covid19 testing for TB patients. In this scenario, Dr. Jain, an M.Ch (Neuro
Surgery) from AIIMS, has taken the initiative of proving supervision to any
neuro spinal disorder through his clinic Arihant Neuro Spine clinic.
Located in
Pitampura, Delhi, Dr.Shailesh jain clinic with the name of Arihant Neuro Spine
Center is a trustable name within the patient community. With his 15 years of
experience in neurosurgery and neuro treatment, Dr. Shailesh Jain has dedicated
his professional career to the treatment of any neurological disorder with
utmost care. His expertise in the field has gained his membership of the
Neurological Society of India (NSI), Indian Society for Trauma and Acute Care
(ISTAC), Medical Council of India (MCI), A-0 SPINE (International), and Delhi
Neurological Association (DNA).
Sharing his
take on the situation, Dr. Jain says, “There might be no correlation
between Covid19 and TB but the pandemic has affected the TB treatment and care
adversely. What makes the situation worse is the fact that both of the diseases
share a similar set of symptoms including cough, fever, and breathing
difficulties. The only thing we can do right now is to keep an eye on the
future proceedings and take all the measures to reduce the chances of any
further degradation.”
As India is getting deep into the pandemic, the Indian Government is taking more and more preventive measures to mitigate the upsurge in TB cases. There has also been an increase in case-finding efforts to contain the entire situation. The global progress against TB might have been impaired by the Covid-19 but the Government could use the expert guidance of doctors like Dr. Shailesh Jain to ensure the safety of its citizens. Â
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