TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A COVID-19 case in Taipei was found to be infected with tuberculosis (TB) with health authorities asking people to pay attention to possible symptoms.
An 80-year-old man with diabetes from Taipei tested positive for COVID after having developed symptoms including coughing for over a month. Further examinations suggested he had contracted pulmonary tuberculosis, and he was placed in intensive care.
The city’s health department is urging residents to be alert as the lung disease causes symptoms similar to that of other respiratory illnesses such as a cold, seasonal flu, and COVID. The patient in question is a typical case of the high-risk group vulnerable to a TB infection, like seniors 65 and older, those who use steroids, as well as people with underlying conditions including diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and hepatitis.
A category 3 communicable disease in Taiwan, TB is spread mostly through microscopic droplets released into the air. Symptoms include coughing for two or more weeks, chest pain, unintentional weight loss, loss of appetite, and fever, said the health agency.
Patients are required to take medication for six to nine months in addition to regular blood and phlegm tests. Taipei has seen a drop in cases from 1,000 in 2011 to 545 in 2021. This year the capital reported 408 cases in the first ten months.
