Foreign nurse tested positive for TB

[Veecandy]

Hi guys. I am just worried. I came in the UK in November, after the 4th week went to work in the wards. In Jan got screened for TB, my results came back positive. I do not have any symptoms so it could be latent. My main worry is, i have to sit for my OSCE sometime in February. I am yet to go for further tests sometime next week. Will i be able to write my exam? I don't feel like disclosing this issue to my peers as I don't want to be stigmatized. 😪Thank you for all your input. I was happy to know of this platform.

[gurms31]

JPharmacist student? If you been diagnosed then start latent tb treatment or as doctor prescribes asap to prevent complications. Secondly don't worry about it in terms of osces and university and so on you'll be fine as you are asymptomatic and the medicine will get rid of the infection before it ever becomes active. It's curable.

Gurmukh

[Veecandy in reply to gurms31]

Thanks soo much for your reply @gurms31

[HelenC Partner TB Alert]

Hi Veecandy,

TB screening is standard for anyone starting in frontline roles in the NHS, so your colleagues will have experienced this too and hopefully learnt a bit about TB at the same time, if that helps assuage your fears over stigma.

If you don't have symptoms it is likely that they have picked up a latent TB infection. This can be treated with TB antibiotics to reduce any risk of it becoming active. Whilst TB treatment does often come with side effects, the treatment for latent TB uses fewer antibiotics for a shorter period of time so is therefore easier on the body. Everyone reacts different,y but I would be hopeful that any treatment would not effect your studies.

I hope this helps?

Best wishes,

Helen

[Veecandy in reply to HelenC]

Thank you soo much Helen.