As long as tuberculosis is contagious, special precautions must be taken to protect others from infection. As a rule, the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis is started in hospital. If pulmonary tuberculosis is infectious, the affected person is isolated in a single room until there is no longer a risk of infection for others - which is usually the case after just a few weeks of effective treatment.

However, the duration of infectiousness depends primarily on the initial pathogen load, i.e. the number of tuberculosis bacteria detected at the beginning, as well as the severity and spread of the disease. Therefore, the control examinations (e.g. sputum examinations), which are carried out at certain intervals after the start of therapy to check the infectiousness, are of particular importance. Further criteria are the subsiding of symptoms, weight gain (if malnutrition was present at the time of diagnosis) and an improvement in the findings on the X-ray of the lungs. The assessment of infectiousness is always made on a case-by-case basis by the treating physicians. Particular caution is required if a resistant form of tuberculosis is present.

While the person with tuberculosis is still contagious, all visitors* in the affected person's room must wear a respirator mask (FFP2 mask) to prevent infection. Those affected themselves should wear a face mask to reduce the release of pathogens into the environment when coughing.

When sick people leave their room, e.g. for an examination, a face mask must also be worn. It is important to put it on correctly. The nursing staff or their doctors can help to put the mask on correctly and explain how to use it.

The extent to which isolation in the home environment is possible must be checked with your local health authority.

Further information can be found in the DZK recommendations on infection prevention and hygiene in tuberculosis.