08-01-2020, 09:54 PM
(08-01-2020, 05:46 PM)felis tigris Wrote: You're very much correct in noting that TB is a major health issue globally. And it is transmitted via airborne droplets.
The big difference in terms of response is the rate of transmission. SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) has a much higher transmission rate than the bacterium that causes TB. TB is only active is 5%-10% of the people infected and usually takes 1 to 2 years to produce symptoms (although it can be much longer than that). Consequently, while TB is a pervasive issue for humanity, particularly in countries with high levels of poverty and lower levels of access to medical care, it doesn't have the potential to "crash" health systems the way COVID-19 can, even in countries with robust medical infrastructure. When the system is "crashed," the case fatality rate for everything goes up dramatically, as we saw earlier this year in Italy, Spain and NYC.
It really isn't about agenda; TB only causes 9,000 to 10,000 deaths per year in the US. It's about keeping keeping our health system in a position where that remains the case.
EDIT: Sorry to go PnR there - I don't have enough posts to be allowed to chime in there, so I couldn't resist. On topic, just given the issues that MLB is having, once teams start travelling (even if they're able to get through "pre-season"), I suspect this is going to go pear-shaped as well.
Accurate health information is neither political or religious. And thanks for the info.
