In the public perception of tuberculosis, there is often an error: “Tuberculosis is transmitted only by cough and cough”. Indeed, the spread of tuberculosis is far more complex and diverse than one could imagine, and this one-sided perception may lead to loopholes in the prevention of tuberculosis, thereby increasing the risk of infection.
Tuberculosis is a chronic infectious disease caused by the fungi of tuberculosis. It is mainly pulmonary abuse and causes tuberculosis, but it can also exhaust multiple organs of the whole body, such as kidney, bone and lymphatic nodules. When a tuberculosis patient coughs and coughs, it gives rise to a high amount of foam that is suspended in the air and can lead to infection when inhaled by a healthy person, a common form of tuberculosis transmission. However, this is not the only way.
Even if tuberculosis patients do not have visible cough and cough symptoms, they can be contagious. For example, in cases of early illness, or in cases where symptoms are mitigated after a period of treatment, they may only occasionally cough a few times, or even not a cough, but there may still be trachea in their respiratory tract. The bacteria can spread through the foams of patients speaking, laughing, singing, etc. In particular, in closed and poorly ventilated environments, small amounts of foam can also remain in the air for long periods of time, increasing the risk of inhalation by others.
In addition to the fumigation, there are patterns of dust transmission of tuberculosis. When a tuberculosis patient spits on the ground, the nodule streptococcus in the sapling can fly in the air with dust. Inhalation of these bacterial dust by healthy people can also cause infection. For example, in public places with poor sanitary conditions, such as old railway stations, waiting rooms at bus stations, other people are at risk of infection if there is a former tuberculosis patient who leaves a sap containing a fungus, when cleaning is not timely and ventilation is poor.
In addition, for some specific types of tuberculosis, such as bronchial membrane nodules, although the patient may have less visible cough symptoms, the infectious nature of the fungi is more likely to be directly exposed to the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract due to the presence of the mucous membranes in the trachea. There are also extra-pulmonary nodules, such as lymphatic nodules, which can be infected if lymphatic tuberculosis stoves are broken and the pus from which they flow contains nodule skeletal fungi, and if exposed to broken skin or mucous membranes.
In practical cases, if there is a tuberculosis patient in the family, other family members, even if they do not have direct contact with the patient ‘ s coughing and foaming, simply live under the same roof, sharing household supplies, meals, etc., and may be infected by the patient ‘ s unintended speech and respiratory infection. The same risks exist in densely staffed places such as schools, offices, etc. A tuberculosis patient with less visible symptoms may unwittingly become a source of infection, spreading the disease to fellow students or colleagues.
We need to take a more comprehensive approach to tuberculosis prevention when we understand its multiple transmission pathways. Maintaining a good ventilation environment is essential in everyday life. Air circulation should be ensured at home, in school and in the workplace to reduce the concentration of bacteria in air. In the case of tuberculosis patients, treatment should be actively pursued, medications should be prescribed in accordance with medical regulations, and out-of-home activities should be minimized, in particular by avoiding access to densely populated and poorly ventilated sites. In public places, attention should be paid to cough protocols, paper towels should be used to cover mouths and noses when coughing or sneezing, so as to avoid splattering, and when used, paper towels should be thrown into the trash can in time.
In short, the spread of tuberculosis is by no means limited to coughing and coughing, and we must correct this misconception to treat tuberculosis prevention and control more scientifically and critically and to protect ourselves and others from it.
