Mycobacterium tuberculosis, more commonly known as TB, used to be a disease of the past, commonly associated with the days of backward Singapore when quality of healthcare was poor and conditions unsanitary. Most of the current generation’s personal observation of this disease came from period dramas – a poor rickshaw driver coughs to death on the dirty streets, or a rich towkay’s son spits blood during a wedding ceremony and promptly faints, and then dies, leaving his poor wife widowed.
Nevertheless, it is still commonly found in some Asian countries, especially in places like India and Indonesia. With the increase of foreign workers and immigrants in recent years, TB has once again found its way onto our island. An article in the Straits Times stated that "The Ministry of Health (MOH) was alerted to 2,791 new cases last year, a figure 10.9 per cent higher than the 2,517 in 2009.
Singapore has seen a rise in the number of TB infected patients from both foreigners and Singaporeans. This year, non-government organisations (NGOs) are certainly headed for the right direction by asking the authorities to reconsider the rehabilitation policy for foreigners who are applying for work permit.
Although in today’s day and age, all Singaporean babies are given a compulsory Bacille Calmette Guérin (BCG) shot at birth as a vaccine against this deadly disease, older Singaporeans do not have the privilege of this vaccine, and these Singaporeans are going to be worst hit when they are in their old age and possess a weak immune system. In addition, many vaccinations are not permanent, and vaccination against TB is one of those.
I was a victim of TB 2 years ago. Back then, I worked in a company where my colleagues came from all over the world. We had fun learning about each other’s cultures and values, but little did we know that we were also exchanging each other’s viruses. Not long after starting out on my new job, the lymph nodes in my neck started to swell and I began developing a persistent flu with symptoms such as cough, runny nose and an on and off fever. I also lost a significant amount of weight and over time, I started seeing blood in my sputum and felt lethargic easily.
Worried for my health, but convinced that it was nothing more than a stubborn flu, I tried different forms of self-medication, such as Chinese medicine and common cold tablets. After six months, not only did I not recover, my cough got worse and my throat felt tight and extremely sore. The haze that blanketed Singapore at that time of the year made everything worse, and my mom eventually decided that I should see a specialist.
It took just ten minutes for the specialist to decide that I had to be warded into the Intensive Care Unit for three days. After that, I was transferred to the isolation ward where I continued my stay in the hospital for 18 days. According to the X-Ray results, the TB virus had moved from the tip of my lungs up to my windpipe, causing it to swell, bleed and block my breathing. My treatment included daily blood tests, medication pumped into me through a drip and medicinal tablets taken every few hours. After being discharged, I had to undergo monthly checks at the Tuberculosis Control Unit at Tan Tock Seng Hospital, followed by a daily dose of medication everyday for six months, which was administered daily at a local polyclinic.
The treatment process of TB was long and tiresome, but on the bright side, it goes to show that TB is curable these days. It is thankfully no longer the terminal illness that took away numerous lives as seen in period dramas.
Although there is no foolproof way to protect ourselves from TB, you should seek professional medical treatment if you develop symptoms as I’ve shared above. TB may share similar symptoms with the common flu, but in any case, you should not attempt to self-medicate when you have the flu virus, as the flu virus is highly contagious and difficult to go away without specific medication too. When you do contract TB, do practice self-quarantine and accept your medication and treatment as prescribed by your doctor.
Viruses are stubborn, and it will take some time before Singapore reverts to her almost TB-free state. It is important for us to pay more attention to the people around us, especially those that we interact often with, like our family, friends and colleagues, and advise them to get medical help if they clearly need it. Being concerned for others’ health shows that you care. You’d also feel healthier and more comfortable when everyone around you is happy and healthy.
Written by: Veronica Tay
Sources:
http://www.singhealth.com.sg/PatientCare/ConditionsAndTreatments/Pages/Tuberculosis.aspx
http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC120514-0000024/Health-Ministry-monitoring-TB-trends-among-foreign-workers
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