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Tuberculosis symptoms and causes as doctor warns persistent cough may not be Covid

A persistent cough and fever are two of three classic Covid symptoms. However, a top doctor has now warned that these symptoms may not always due to Covid.

Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency has said that cough and fever could actually be another infectious disease like tuberculosis (TB).

The warning comes after over 4,000 cases of TB was recorded last year in England. Back in 2020, TB was ranked second in terms of number of deaths due to infectious diseases worldwide, surpassed by Covid.

Dr Harries has said that the pandemic could be delaying diagnosis and treatment of TB, which means there could be even more undetected cases of the disease.

Here's everything you need to know about tuberculosis including symptoms, causes and treatment.

What is tuberculosis?

Tuberculosis is a bacterial infection, which mainly affects the lungs, but can also impact the tummy, glands, bones and nervous system.

The illness is spread through inhaling droplets from the coughs or sneezes of an infected person. Though treatment for TB has come a long way, it is still a serious health condition.

What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?

One of the most typical signs of tuberculosis is a persistent cough, which lasts more than three weeks and brings up phlegm, that may be bloody.

Other symptoms of tuberculosis include:

• weight loss
• night sweats
• high temperature
• tiredness and fatigue
• loss of appetite
•  spellings in the neck
• If you have a bloody cough or one that lasts over three weeks, you should see a GP.

Getty Images/iStockphotoIll infected woman checking thermometer having fever

• Tuberculosis, which affects the lungs, is the most common and contagious type of tuberculosis. However, it spreads only after prolonger exposure to someone who has the illness.

n most healthy people, the body's immune system will fight against infection and kill the bacteria, without causing any symptoms.

Sometimes the bacteria is not killed, but our immunity prevents it from spreading further in our bodies. You won't have any symptoms, but in this case the bacteria still remains in your body.

This is known as latent TB, and this kind of tuberculosis is not infectious to other people. However, latent TB can develop later into active TB, if your immune system is weakened.

If your immune system can't kill or contain the bacteria, it can spread in the lungs as well as other parts of your body. This is active TB and symptoms will start developing within a few weeks or months.

When you have active pulmonary TB, you will usually be contagious for about two to three weeks into your treatment.

How is tuberculosis treated?

Tuberculosis is a serious condition, but it can be cured if it's treated right, usually with a course of antibiotics that will need to be taken for six months.

Many different antibiotics are often used as some forms of TB are resistant to specific antibiotics. While you won't need to be in self-isolation, you must:

Anyone who has been in close contact with someone with TB may need tests to be be done, which can include a chest X-ray, blood tests, and a skin test called the Mantoux test.

There is also a vaccine called the BCG vaccine, which offers protection against TB and is recommended by the NHS for babies, children and adults under the age of 35 who are at risk of catching the illness.

The vaccine is not usually given to other aged over 35 as there's no evidence it works on people in this age group.

Reference: Mirror: Malvika Padin

How Kate Middleton is treating horse allergy by immunotherapy - and what it means

From lavish polo matches to prestigious equestrian events, it’s no secret that the royals love their horses.

And while Kate Middleton, as a senior member of the family, may spend a large amount of time surrounded by the animals, the duchess isn’t entirely keen with the creatures.

Speaking to People magazine, Clarrisa Ru, wife of Santa Barbara Polo Club president Wesley Ru, explained that 40 year old Kate was allergic to the animals, though she was working to overcome her allergy through exposure - a treatment called immunotherapy.

She said: “I got a chance to have a conversation with Kate.

“I asked if she was into polo before she met William. She said no. But she’s been riding horses for a while and she hopes to play polo one day.

Getty Kate Middleton horse

“She said ‘I’m actually allergic to them, but the more time one spends with them the less allergic you become.’”

So as the mother-of-three continues to treat her allergy, here’s everything you need to know about immunotherapy…

What is immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy, or desensitisation as it’s also known, is a way of weakening the body’s response to an allergen.

Desensitisation works through exposure to the allergen, so that the immune system gets used to the cause and can therefore change its response.

Getty Kate Middleton horse

The treatment is commonly used for people who are allergic to animals such as horses, cats and dogs.

How does immunotherapy work?

Aside from spending increasing amounts of time exposed to the allergen, as Kate is doing, medical treatment involves being given small doses of the allergen either as an injection or as drops or tablets under the tongue.

Typically treatment is administered over the course of several years.

As there’s a small risk of severe reaction, the NHS states that the injection can only be performed at a specialist clinic under the supervision of a doctor.

 Getty Kate Middleton horse

How effective is immunotherapy?

Though desensitisation doesn’t cure an allergy, it can reduce how allergic a person is to something.

Scientific studies have proved that immunotherapy successfully reduces the symptoms of allergies including hayfever, though it is also used for other specific allergens - such as horses - too.

Given that the treatment alters how you respond to an allergen, the immunotherapy can last for up to three years after it has been received.

However, as it targets a single allergen, the results of exposure therapy will only work on the particular allergy.

Getty Kate Middleton horse

For instance, if you are desensitised to horses, this won’t make a difference to an allergy to pollen.

What happens before treatment?

Before getting immunotherapy, individuals must undergo a series of allergy tests including a skin prick test to help establish what the allergen is.

A physical examination will also be done to help gauge a person’s general fitness.

Reference: OK: Lucy Robinson

Norovirus symptoms to look out for amid warning over surging cases of vomiting bug

Getty Images/iStockphoto: Norovirus is on the rise in schools and nurseries, with outbreaks doubling in the space of a week

Norovirus is on the rise in schools and nurseries, with outbreaks doubling in the space of a week.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) is warning people to take action to limit the spread of the vomiting bug as infections also rise in care homes.

It comes after the latest data from the government agency, which monitors outbreaks, shows norovirus outbreaks more than doubled in the second week of March compared to the first.

UKHSA said the increase was primarily down to increased outbreaks in educational settings, which accounted for 54 per cent of outbreaks, and care homes which accounted for 38 per cent.

It added that cases had been on the rise since coronavirus social-distancing rules were relaxed as it warned of a potential “unusual or out-of-season” spike in cases in the coming weeks.

There are six key symptoms of norovirus to look out for, according to Professor Saheer Gharbia, gastrointestinal pathogens and food safety directorate at UKHSA.

What are the symptoms?

Symptoms include sudden onset of nausea, projectile vomiting, diarrhoea, high temperature, abdominal pain and aching limbs.

People are being urged to avoid visiting elderly relatives, especially in hospitals and care homes, if feeling unwell and to use soap and water instead of alcohol gel, which does not kill the virus.

Prof Gharbia said: “Norovirus, commonly known as the winter vomiting bug, has been at lower levels than normal throughout the pandemic but as people have begun to mix more, the numbers of outbreaks have started to increase again.

“Please avoid visiting elderly relatives if you are unwell – particularly if they are in a care home or hospital.

“As with Covid-19 and other infectious illnesses, hand washing is really important to help stop the spread of this bug, but remember, unlike for Covid-19 alcohol gels do not kill off norovirus so soap and water is best.”

Norovirus is highly infectious and causes vomiting and diarrhoea but usually passes in a couple of days.

It is easily transmitted through contact with infected individuals or contaminated surfaces.

The UKHSA said the number of outbreaks increased during four weeks between the end of January and February, initially in educational settings and then in care homes.

The increase in reported outbreaks was initially in educational settings, particularly in nursery and childcare facilities, with 48 per cent more incidents reported to UKHSA than would usually be expected.

Outbreaks in care homes remain below the number expected in a pre-pandemic year, but the UKHSA said they were likely to rise in the coming weeks and a rise in care homes often precedes a rise in hospitals.

There were 113 outbreaks - defined as at least two cases - of the highly infectious bug in educational settings in the two weeks to 13 March.

This is more than double the 50 outbreaks reported a fortnight earlier.

Cases have also risen by a third in care homes, with 80 outbreaks recorded in the most recent period. 

Reference: Independent: Chiara Giordano 

Amy Schumer suffers from trichotillomania