COVID-19 Fears Halves TB Patients Going for Checkups in Vietnam’s HCMC

The number of tuberculosis (TB) patients going to hospitals and clinics in Vietnam’s Ho Chi Minh City for regular checkups have currently halved due to their coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) fears, the national broadcaster Vietnam Television (VTV) reported. The situation could increase the transmission risks of the TB, which is estimated to kill 17,000 people in Vietnam every year, VTV added. To cope with the current situation, doctors in Pham Ngoc Thach hospital in HCMC have prescribed TB patients drugs for longer days and regularly reminded them to drink the drugs and go for checkups via their phones. Vietnam has selected the theme of turning COVID-19 disease into opportunities for the country to end TB by 2030 as that of World TB Day this year. Vietnam has set a target of reducing 20% of TB infections and 40% of TB mortalities by 2020. Statistics showed that Vietnam detects and treats more than 100,000 TB patients or 57% of the total cases each year. The country has a high TB cure rate (90%) for those infected with TB for the first time while the global average rate is only 56%. (VTV, baotintuc.vn, dantocmiennui.vn, baohatinh.vn)