TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – The World Health Organization (WHO) recorded as many as 1.4 million people died of tuberculosis or TBC in 2019. Worldwide, this disease is one of the top 10 causes of death and the leading cause of single infectious agent above HIV/AIDS.
Koordinator Substansi Tuberkulosis Direktorat Pencegahan dan Pengendalian Penyakit Menular Langsung (P2PML) Kementerian Kesehatan, dr. Tiffany Tiara Pakasi, mengatakan sama seperti COVID-19, penyakit tuberkulosis atau TBC juga bisa mematikan bila tak diobati sampai tuntas.
Tak hanya dampak, dua masalah kesehatan yang terjadi di Indonesia itu juga memiliki kemiripan cara penularannya, yakni dari batuk atau bersin orang yang terinfeksi dan organ pernapasan yang diserang.
Bila COVID-19 akibat infeksi virus SARS-CoV-2, tubekulosis akibat bakteri Mycobacterium tuberculosis yang sama-sama menyerang organ pernapasan, yakni paru-paru.
“Let’s work hand in hand to overcome two diseases whose transmission methods are similar and the lethal effect may be faster than COVID-19, but actually TB is also deadly if it is not treated completely until it is cured,” he said.
Although deadly, TB can be treated and cured. Since 2000, an estimated 63 million lives have been saved through TB diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, the patient still has to take regular medication until he recovers. Adherence to taking medication also helps prevent drug resistance which makes treatment last longer and has the potential to spread to contacts.
On the other hand, tuberculosis services are also sought not to stop even during the pandemic.
“TBC during the COVID-19 period, patients must continue to take medication. Please don’t ignore vulnerable groups, especially children, pregnant women, the elderly, patients with comorbidities, because TB still needs to be treated,” said Tiara.
However, given the adjustment during this pandemic related to logistics, there is relaxation in taking medicine. Tiara allows the medicine to be taken from once a week to once every two weeks.
In addition, for the sake of prevention, healthy people are advised to continue implementing clean and healthy lifestyle behaviors such as eating a balanced nutritious diet, exercising regularly, diligently washing hands with running water and soap, ensuring that the house gets adequate sunlight and air ventilation, wearing masks, and applying proper cough etiquette.
“It is important that there is still education for TB prevention during the pandemic COVID-19 this,” said Tiara.
Also read: Know Bronchitis, Different from TB and Lung Disease
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