Kolkata: State Health department has mandated tuberculosis (TB) test for all the Covid infected patients after they recover from the disease. The department has already issued instruction to all the government and private Covid hospitals and also to the various diagnostic centers in this regard. The decision has been taken after the health department found some cases where the Covid infected patients have later developed tuberculosis after being cured. This has become a major cause of concern for the department. According to health department sources, around 132 patients were detected who had been affected with tuberculosis within a few weeks after recovering from Covid. The Health department instruction says that Covid recovered patients have to undertake the TB tests within 7-21 days after they recover from Covid. Those staying at the hospitals or at home must undertake this test. If a patient continues to cough or if he/she gets tired after a little work or if someone loses weight, TB test is a must. The hospitals and laboratories have been instructed to take the responsibilities and to help the patients get the tests done. Bengal is the first state in the country to come up with such an idea. As the immunity system gets affected after being infected with Covid, the health department has mandated the tuberculosis tests for each Covid cured patient. Meanwhile, in another development the Health department has issued an advisory to various Covid hospitals saying that antibiotics should not be prescribed routinely in Covid treatment unless bacterial co-infection is suspected. Many Covid hospitals, particularly the private ones have a tendency to prescribe antibiotics. The protocol monitoring team while visiting various hospitals noted certain lacuna. On the basis of the report submitted by the team, the health department has issued a detailed outline about the usage of antibiotics on patients.

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