The Manila Times
THE Department of Health (DOH) warned that people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHIV) are more susceptible to developing tuberculosis (TB) due to a weakened immune system. ”HIV is a disease that attacks the immune system, particularly the CD4 T-cells,” the agency said in a Facebook post on Friday. CD4 T-cells are a type of white blood cell that serve as the immune system’s managers, helping defend against bacteria. The DOH said that when the CD4 T-cells run out, the body’s defense against various diseases is weakened. ”This is where opportunistic infections such as tuberculosis enter. Many of us may have TB bacteria sleeping inside the body because it is usually controlled by a strong immune system. But because HIV weakens the immune system, TB wakes up and becomes an active disease,” it added. The agency noted that this could lead to chronic diseases such as blood clotting, body collapse and possible death. The DOH urged PLHIV to avail themselves of medications against TB, as well as the importance of promoting safe sex through the use of condoms, lubricants and pre-exposure prophylaxis, which is said to be 99-percent effective against HIV. ”For persons living with HIV, the key is to take an antiretroviral therapy, or ART, for HIV, along with TPT (tuberculosis preventive treatment) for TB; it is effective in stopping the spread of the same disease and can reduce the risk of other complications,” it said. DOH spokesman Albert Domingo said in an interview that while taking TB medication can be challenging, the treatment can be completed in only four to nine months. ”Let’s not be afraid of the next pandemic. The next variant of Covid is not scary; TB is scary. It does not have to choose the rich or the poor; everyone can have TB because it is airborne,” Domingo said.
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