New York City – A significant rise in tuberculosis and COVID cases have put a strain on the local health department. The migrant crisis has also put a strain on local agencies as well.
So far in 2023 there have been about 500 active cases of tuberculosis in New York City alone. That is a 20% increase over the same period from last year. Tuberculosis is the number one killer of people worldwide according to infectious disease Dr. Bruce Hirsch.
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During the COVID-19 pandemic emergency, cases of the flu, COVID-19 and other infectious diseases dropped as public health efforts kept people masked or isolated at home. “But tuberculosis numbers have quickly climbed back up to pre-pandemic levels, marking the first time in decades that cases and deaths have risen globally,” said Dr. Carlos Franco-Paredes, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine
Vaccine fatigue and migrants are worsening the problem especially with the colder months arriving. This puts more people in close proximity to each other to try and stay warm. However, due to staffing shortages people often have to wait weeks to get treated which makes the disease harder to treat.
TB cases have recently been reported in Olathe, Kansas, and in Brockton, Massachusetts.
According to the Mayo Clinic, symptoms can include the following:
- Cough.
- Coughing up blood or mucus.
- Chest pain.
- Pain with breathing or coughing.
- Fever.
- Chills.
- Night sweats.
- Weight loss.
- Not wanting to eat.
- Tiredness.
- Not feeling well in general
