The simple face mask--mandatory in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic—may just help India’s fight against one of the oldest pestilence: Tuberculosis. “If masks become routine in India, just like they are in Japan, then we could well meet our target of eliminating TB by 2025,” said pulmonologist Dr Sanjeev Mehta. The simple face mask--mandatory in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic—may just help India’s fight against one of the oldest pestilence: Tuberculosis. “If masks become routine in India, just like they are in Japan, then we could well meet our target of eliminating TB by 2025,” said pulmonologist Dr Sanjeev Mehta.