Question
Somebody at work had TB- am I at risk?
27 March 2012. Related: All topics, Opportunistic infections.
I was diagnosed with HIV in January with CD4 count if 110.
I have started treatment with Atripla and I am also in septrim.
I have been off work for few weeks getting over the side affects of the Atripla. These have now passed and I am preparing to go back to work but gave just found out that there has been an instance of TB in my office.
I am now apprehensive about returning to work. How concerned should I be and what precautions should I and my employer take?
Answer
It’s great to hear that you are dealing well with treatment and feel well enough to go back to work. Would you be able to tell me what your most recent CD4 and viral load test results are? If I know these numbers I may be better able to answer your question.
If somebody in your office has recently been diagnosed with TB it’s important to know how this has been dealt with. NICE guidelines suggest that in most workplace situations colleagues will not be assessed for TB because the risk of transmission is not high enough for this to be needed. It would be good to know if other workers in the office have been screened, and if anybody else has been infected.
If the person has been diagnosed with TB they will be being treated. TB treatment rapidly reduces the infectiousness of the infected person within the first 2-3 weeks. They will not be able to work while they are infectious.
Generally I would say that you shouldn’t be too worried by this case. The fact that TB has been identified and (presumably) dealt with means you have avoided most of the risk. Your chances of catching TB from somebody who is being treated, and in an office environment, are very small. If you are still concerned you can take steps to reduce the risk further. The easiest way to do this is to make sure your office is well ventilated as TB spreads most easily in unventilated areas.
I hope this has helped you to feel more at ease, please do let me know if you would like any further information.
Hi Sevena,
Thanks for your comment. What country do you live in? In many countries around the world testing and treatment for TB is free.
Do you have access to TB treatment? And are you HIV positive too? Please let us know.
I found out a week ago I got Tb and there is no air no windows no ventilation in the office. I made sure everyone knows so that they can test themselves but people is scared at work, they more worried about the money that will be deducted from their commission if they must test themselves. Im so worried for them, what can I do to help them get tested without any money taken from them. It’s no one’s fault but I feel the bosses don’t care about the people. Please help me.