Tuberculosis Today

Background

Tuberculosis is a bacteria caused illness that primarily attacks the pulmonary system. In addition to causing the tuberculosis disease, the bacteria can cause a latent tuberculosis infection, which results in an infected patient who does not feel sick. This reminds me of Covid 19, which primarily affects the respiratory system and can present asymptomatically in some patients. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, the disease is spread when the bacteria are spread into the air from an infected individual and then breathed in by an uninfected person. Once an individual’s lungs are infected, the disease can easily spread to other parts of the body and other vital organs. Symptoms of tuberculosis include a cough lasting longer than three weeks, chest pain, and bloody sputum.

Prevention and Treatment

There is treatment for TB and latent TB. If someone has latent TB, it is still recommended that they be treated even if they do not feel sick because the latent infection can become symptomatic tuberculosis. TB is treated with a combination of different drugs for anywhere between 6 and 9 months. However, it is ESSENTIAL for the patient to complete their drug regimen or the bacteria will not be removed. It is so important for the patient to take all of their drugs otherwise the bacteria can develop even more drug resistance than it already has. Prevention for TB mostly includes receiving regular TB testing and avoiding contact with people infected with TB. Even though it is a serious illness, I am thankful that it does not spread as easily as the coronavirus. I am worried though about TB patients, who are also experiencing a shortage of supplies and hospital access during this corona pandemic.

Prevalence in Today’s World

According to Medical News Today, tuberculosis used to be a major cause of death, but then its death rate fell because of antibiotics. Unfortunately, that rate started to increase again as antibiotic resistant tuberculosis rose. That is why some health centers are becoming stricter with the regimen of antibiotics they are prescribing their TB patients. If one patient chooses not to finish their antibiotics then the disease will remain persistent and mutate to become more antibiotic resistant. This is putting so many more people in danger because the less effect that antibiotics will have against TB, and therefore treatment options for TB will begin to decrease. In 2018, 10 million people across the world were diagnosed with TB. This proves it is still a prevalent disease that needs to be taken seriously. I feel like the frustration I feel when others do not practice social distancing during this pandemic is a similar frustration that I get from TB patients who do not finish their antibiotics, it is annoying because they are putting everyone else at a higher risk for getting sick and not having a treatment option.