Tuesday, July 20, 2010

My friend's chest x-ray was positive for Tuberculosis, can I still hang out with her

My friend's chest x-ray was positive for Tuberculosis, can I still hang out with her?
Her skin TB test is positive. Then her chest x-ray is positive. I'm scared to hang out with her because I'm scared that I'll be infected with TB. If she breathes near me, will I be affected? or if she coughs near me? I'm sorry if I sound very immature, but I'm taking a Microbiology class and everything scares me!!!
Respiratory Diseases - 4 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Its not contagious in nature but it can be. Be protected, since its cold, wear long sleeves, dont put hands in your mouth, disinfect, dot let her make a lot of physical contact etc. Dont fret though. After a few weeks of treatment, it will be less dangerous and you can ease a bit.
2 :
TB is contagious. Stay away for a couple weeks until antibiotics take effect and your friend is not contagious. Don't take any chances. It's a serious disease. Whoever gave me thumbs down doesn't know much about TB. Not only is it serious, if you get it you could be a year getting rid of it. My brother had it and it wasn't fun.
3 :
Two sets of questions : 1) Assuming her TB skin test is positive, could it be positive for another exposure or reason? 2) If this is the case, her chest Xray positive for TB is variable : Can you provide a better description? 1) Assuming her TB skin test is positive and new, and 2) Her chest xray said "miliary TB" -- she would be in respiratory isolation. TB (in the USA) is still a disease that has strict controls. It is probably OK to hang around with her, no harm in waiting a couple of weeks.
4 :
Pulmonary TB is contagious. If this is what she has she should have been put in isolation until she is proven to be non-infectious. This would be the job of your local public health officials and her doctor

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