Lockdowns meant to protect people from Covid-19 have now turned against patients and TB treatment seems to be suffering the greatest assault. Diversion of resources to Covid-19 has also left TB patients exposed to inadequate care. Fear of isolationAs countries struggle to deal with the pandemic, they have assigned their best teams to Covid-19 patients, dealing TB treatment another blow. If nothing is done to fix this in future, healthcare workers will not be available to monitor TB patients, ensuring they finish their first and second-line treatment. And it is more bad news for TB patients as the restriction of movements occasioned by the Covid-19 pandemic, could lead to stock-outs of their crucial drugs.

Source: Daily Nation May 26, 2020 08:26 UTC