Tuberculosis (TB) is mostly forgotten, but certainly not gone. We often associate TB with bygone times. In 1882, the consumption, as it was often called then, killed one in seven people in Europe and the U.S.
The disease traveled by coughing; crowded cities in both Europe and the U.S. were thought to be one reason behind its rise. In the Victorian Era, wealthy folks travelled to remote, temperate climates to avoid TB, but people with less resources hacked up blood as their lungs deteriorated, until they died.
Now, although the disease is neither as prevalent nor as deadly as it was in the 19th century, it is around — and showing signs of making an unwelcome comeback. New data from the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) and the World Health Organization reported 39,000 cases TB in the 29 European Union and European Economic Area (EU/ EEA) countries. It is still considered the deadliest infectious disease worldwide.
In report the other day the charge nurse offhandedly asked if anyone was fit tested and we all panicked for a second before she reassured us that she was only asking because the fit-testing guy was in-house next week. For a second we thought we were actually going to be breaking out the N-95s, which are much tighter than a regular paper mask and you have to be regularly tested to make sure the model you’re using forms a complete seal. Oh and if you’re not wearing the right mask or something else goes wrong and you still get sick anyway, treatment takes 4-9 MONTHS.. I’d rather get COVID again.