Six symptoms of Victorian disease on the rise that are often mistaken for Covid
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned that cases of a Victorian disease are on the rise again, according to its year-on-year data.
You might have thought that it was a thing of the past, a relic of British history, but the recorded numbers have actually gone up when you look through the figures.
According to the UKHSA, there was a total of 5,490 instances of the infection in England in 2024, up from 4,831 in 2023 which represents an uptick of 13.6 percent.
In slightly more good news, the disease - tuberculosis, or TB - is no longer quite the historical terror it used to be as treatment has been found and 84.4 percent of diagnosed patients get through their treatment within 12 months. Meanwhile, the experts say the risk to people is still low.
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All around the world TB is on the rise, and the place where the disease appears to thrive most is in built-up cities among populations suffering from deprivation.
What are the symptoms of tuberculosis?
Like any sickness, the sooner you work out what's going on the sooner you can sort out treatment, but TB could be mistaken for Covid since one of its primary symptoms is a persistent cough.
The NHS says that the six symptoms of TB you should be on the lookout for include that noticeable cough, if it has been lasting for up to three weeks that's a very troubling sign and there may be blood or mucus in it too.
Compared to Covid, which typically lasts a few days to a few weeks, if the cough is sticking around and you've tested negative then it's likely to be something else.
TB can also leave you feeling tired or exhausted, while your body might have a high temperature and leave you suffering from night sweats.
While Covid was known for messing with your sense of taste, another potential symptom of TB is a lack of appetite and you may also suffer from sudden and unexplained weight loss which is often a sign that you have something serious.
Beyond those initial five, the sixth symptom is a general feeling of unwellness, that sense that something is wrong inside you even if you can't quite put your finger on what it is.
If you're feeling these symptoms then the NHS urges you to speak to a GP, and if you're coughing up blood then they want you to call 111 or set up an urgent appointment with a doctor.
Should you be suffering from a terrible headache and a stiff neck, looking at bright lights is painful, part of your body is particularly weak, you're suddenly confused or you experience a fit or seizure then the TB could have spread to your brain and resulted in meningitis.
In that case, you ought to call 999.
If left undetected and untreated, then TB can spread to other parts of your body and cause various other symptoms which the NHS has listed to be aware of.
Joe Harker