Cough cough cough! Is it tuberculosis or COVID-19? Tuberculosis prevention experts teach you how to distinguish

Cough cough cough......

What should I do if I have a cough?
Have you been infected with the new coronavirus?
Do you want to go to the fever clinic?
So panicked, so scared!

In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, as long as a cough occurs, everyone's focus will be on the COVID-19, while ignoring the possibility of other infectious diseases, such as tuberculosis, one of the major infectious diseases with the highest incidence and death toll in my country.

How to distinguish between tuberculosis or COVID-19?

Don’t worry, He Xiaoxin, deputy director and chief physician of the Beijing Institute of Tuberculosis Control, will teach you how to distinguish them step by step.

The pathogen of COVID-19 is the new coronavirus, an acute respiratory infectious disease with main symptoms including fever, fatigue, dry cough, and gradually difficulty breathing.

The pathogen of pulmonary tuberculosis is Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is a chronic respiratory infectious disease. The clinical symptoms mainly include two aspects↓

It is caused by lung damage due to tuberculosis lesions in the lungs, which manifests as coughing and expectoration. If the lesions damage blood vessels, blood will appear in the sputum.

The systemic poisoning symptoms caused by tuberculosis infection include fever, general discomfort, fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, and endocrine disorders in women.

Coughing and sputum for more than 2 weeks or blood in the sputum are called suspected symptoms of pulmonary tuberculosis, and 30%-40% of them will be diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis.

The global tuberculosis report released by the World Health Organization (WHO) shows that in 2019, 10 million people were diagnosed with tuberculosis. Although tuberculosis is preventable and treatable, 1.4 million people died from tuberculosis worldwide, making it the world's number one infectious disease "killer."
How is tuberculosis transmitted from person to person?

According to Yang Xinyu, deputy chief technician of the Central Laboratory of Beijing Tuberculosis Control Institute, pulmonary tuberculosis is mainly transmitted through the respiratory tract, that is, when infectious pulmonary tuberculosis patients speak loudly, cough, or sneeze, droplets containing tuberculosis bacteria are spread into the air. Experiments have confirmed that droplets produced by coughing and sneezing can spread up to 1 meter away, and people around them can be infected if they inhale droplets carrying bacteria.

It is estimated that about a quarter of the world's population is infected with tuberculosis, but not everyone infected will develop the disease. As long as early and standardized full-course treatment is given, the vast majority of patients can recover.

What should tuberculosis patients pay attention to in daily life?

Gao Zhidong, director of the prevention and control department and deputy chief physician of the Beijing Tuberculosis Control Institute, believes that first of all, we must have confidence in defeating the disease, actively accept standardized full-course treatment, regularly go to designated medical institutions for follow-up visits, examinations and medication, and strive for early recovery. This is the most effective way to protect yourself and your family.

In addition, you need to pay attention to these 6 points in your daily life↓

In the early stages of treatment, it is best to live alone. Avoid contact with family members, especially children and the elderly. Wear a mask at home during the excretion period.

Develop good personal hygiene habits, wash your hands frequently, do not spit, and do not cough or sneeze at others.

Open windows in the room frequently to ventilate it, and hang clothes, bedding, etc. out to dry and disinfect them frequently.

Try to avoid going to crowded public places, and wear a mask when you must go out.

It is necessary to quit smoking to relieve cough symptoms and improve efficacy; alcohol should be stopped to reduce the risk of liver damage.

During the illness, strengthen nutrition. Eat more milk, eggs, fish, meat and soy products to supplement protein; eat more fresh fruits and vegetables to supplement vitamins and trace elements.