If a co-worker told you they had tuberculosis, but it wasn't contagious, what would you think?

Awkward sympathy, I suppose. I never really know what to say in situations like that. I think that’s why people say the “thoughts and prayers” thing: it’s something to say when there’s nothing to be said.

I’d ask questions for a full understanding and no, I wouldn’t be concerned if they were getting treatment. If they were a contagion risk their doctors would not allow them to work and the workplace would have been notified to get tested.
If you think you might have been exposed pre-treatment and disclosure then I would go to my doctor for a test.

I’d make sympathetic clucks and then go Googling. I wouldn’t be overly concerned but I would want some information.

It would depend very much on the coworker and my knowledge/experience with said person.

It would depend on how closely we worked together. If we were sitting close to each other and you were coughing and spluttering around the place, I’d be concerned. I’d also want to know how you know you’re not infectious. Have you recently been seen by a doctor who has deemed you to be non-infectious? Inactive TB can become active. I’d expect my workplace to have seen medical evidence to support your claim that there was no risk of infection to others.

If you weren’t close to me, I wouldn’t be concerned. I’d hope that you were okay and were being treated and were following the prescribed treatment.

Still fussing are we? ;)
Remember the website that JLeslie gave that had all the stats?
Make yourself some slips of paper with it copied to hand to people. Save your breath.
Yes- you were exposed (woo-woo!), but you are only a non-infectuous carrier.
Then smile sweetly and say you have heard, however, that cooties are on the increase.
It changes the subject really, really fast.
Listen, you are more upset about other’s reactions than you should be. Global society- remember? Its not the clap, nor typhoid, nor did you lick a gerbil. Relax. No stigma – ok? :)

I would think they needed to get away from me just incase.

I have a pretty robust immune system so I would not be overly concerned and at the same time thankful this coworker was prudent enough to let me and others know of their health status.

I know it is contagious. I also know that I am immune as I was vaccinated and tested for immunity

So my concern would be for other people, especially those who are immuno-compromised. It is not very contagious in that it is easier to catch flu than TB and it is quite treatable with antibiotics so isn’t the killer it used to be but it is not true that it is not contagious

@msh I am not printing out flyers. @JLeslie made the good suggestion to ask this question. It’s been helpful. And, no, it hasn’t been determined if I’m latent as of now. I’m still quarantined.

That’s why I asked for people not to do research before answering. If you read other’s responses you will see that not everyone does understand it and it does make people nervous. There is no other disease that you get tested for before being allowed to attend college, or for many professions, get a job. That alone peaks interest when you say you have it.

My own closest friends have been a good gauge. I have found most people think just like I did this time last week. Most know nothing but TB is highly contagious and can kill you. I know way more than that now, but I don’t think the general crowd does.

@AdventureElephants, I think you’re right. There is a stigma attached to TB. I know I had to have chest x-rays before I came to Australia to ensure I was TB free. I don’t know if we still insist on that or not. I also remember discussions of sanitariums for people with TB. I’m quite sure older people would be even more concerned than younger people who might not even know there was any reason to be concerned.

Do we also know that there is a drug-resistant strain on the rise? In the U.S.A.

@si3tech I did not know that. Awesome. I go to a specialist today, so I’ll ask.

I would just ask if they actually have a positive chest X-ray or just positive for exposure. If they simply are positive for exposure I wouldn’t worry for one second.

I have worked with, and been around people, who a
have positive TB tests many times. Probably most of you have.

@AdventureElephants There is a resistant strain so the drug regimen is heavier for treating that.

Did you get your xray?

I don’t think of TB as highly contagious. Measles is highly contagious. One person on a train and half the train gets it if they aren’t immune. TB, not so much. You would need to be in close contact ongoing more likely to catch the TB. Half of NYC would have TB if it was so easily contagious just by riding the subways.

My X-ray was clear and I got sputum tested. I’m on a 12 week program of 2 administered and observed antibiotics. The treatment is apparently pretty harsh, but it’s better, for me, than the 9 month self-administered antibiotic alternative. Apparently after that 12 weeks I should hopefully test negative again. 75% of people do.

I’m cleared to leave the house but not cleared to work until the sputum result. Almost there!

Yay negative X-ray! At least you aren’t under “house arrest” anymore.~

That’s a yea!
That’s excellent.
:)

@AdventureElephants I find it very interesting they are putting you on the 12 week course, and when I lived in TN my hospital did nothing when someone came up positive for exposure except do an X-ray. I wonder what the federal
guideline is?

What state do you live in?

Maybe it’s because I work with high risk clients. The homeless, drug addicts, HIV positive, etc. I know that latent becomes active in about 10% of the cases, so my job is insisting I get treated to eradicate TB from my system. Works for me, as I also travel quite a bit and wondered how it would affect my passport for the health department to have flagged me as TB positive. I’m happy to do the treatment.

What does working with high risk have to do with it? They are more likely to be infected to begin with.

I would take the meds if given the option, don’t get me wrong. The two people I knew who did decided they would rather take it while they were young and cut their risk, than have to take it possibly when they were much older and possibly have more trouble with the meds. There is still no guarantee of course, they just hedged their bets.

You keep saying it will get rid of it if you take the meds. I didn’t think that was the case. I thought it just reduces your risk of it becoming active. I easily could be wrong on that.

Not get rid of it… But your blood levels will be less than 35, which is considered negative. This only happens in 75% of patients that take the drug regimen. That came from the TB specialist.

As far as my job, well, I follow orders. I’m happy to take the drugs. Maybe it doesn’t have so much to do with infecting them, which I could not, but if they have it and I’m already latent I don’t know how that works. I don’t care… If my job wants me to kill the bacteria it doesn’t sound like a terrible idea.