The United Kingdom is witnessing a worrying resurgence of tuberculosis, or TB, with a 13% increase in cases compared to last year, prompting health officials to issue urgent warnings. The UK Health Security Agency has recently released the latest data on TB cases in England, which have risen to 5,480 in 2024, from 4,850 in 2023. Though the disease is still less common than its peak in 2011, when it reached 15.6 per 100,000 people, experts warn that TB is far from being eradicated and continues to pose a significant public health challenge.

Tuberculosis is an infection caused by the bacteria Mycobacterium tuberculosis, typically found in the lungs, though it may occur elsewhere in the body. This occurs through the droplets suspended in the air, usually produced by an infected person who coughs or sneezes. In contrast to the flu and COVID-19, TB may not present with any symptoms and could go un-diagnosed for months; thus, its detection and treatment early are necessary.

The NHS notes that TB is preventable and curable. If left untreated, it can be fatal and it can cause serious complications such as lung damage, meningitis, and bone infections. Dr Esther Robinson Head of TB unit at UKHSA Said to the general public, "TB is a real public health threat in England and remains preventable and curable. Should you have emigrated to the England from elsewhere more commonly, there is always reason to look after your well being by remembering a few features regarding TB in you so as get tested by testing and hence prompt treatment with assistance from GP practices.

Not every persistent cough, with a fever, has flu or COVID-19. A cough that typically produces mucus and lasts more than 3 weeks can be caused by other factors such as TB. Do speak to your GP if you think you may be at risk."

Why Are the Cases of TB on the Rise in the UK?

Public health officers explain the rising incidence of TB due to a range of causes including international migration, socioeconomic differences and urban population. According to the UKHSA, 81.5% of all the cases reported in 2024 were those people who were born outside the UK, hence clearly indicating the TB transmission at global levels.

TB is most common among weak groups, including the homeless, substance abusers, or people serving imprisonment time. The highest rise in cases has been seen in major cities like London and the West Midlands, which further shows the direct relation between TB occurrence and social deprivation.

Symptoms of TB

TB symptoms often resemble other respiratory infections, hence, delayed diagnoses and further spread. If you or someone in your life presents with the following symptoms, visit a doctor as soon as possible:

- Coughing persistently for over three weeks with sputum or blood

- Unintended weight loss

- Night sweats

- Fever and chills

- Fatigue and persistent exhaustion

- Poor appetite

- Swollen lymph nodes, particularly in the neck

In cases where the TB spreads outside the lungs, or extrapulmonary TB, symptoms can be body aches, swollen joints, abdominal pain, confusion, or even a rash. This makes early detection and proper screening all the more critical.

How TB Is Diagnosed and Treated

Diagnosing TB would usually start through a chest X-ray combined with sputum tests and blood tests. People with higher risks, such as TB-endemic country residents, should undergo screening even if symptomless.

TB treatment is long-term, involving at least six months of antibiotics for most patients. If the treatment is not completed, antibiotic-resistant TB strains may arise that will make future infections easier to contract.

What You Can Do to Prevent the Spread

TB is not easily spread like flu or COVID-19, but prolonged exposure will still lead to infection. Even so, some measures are to be taken:

• High-risk countries citizens should regularly test for TB
• BCG vaccination protects from TB, especially in children.
• Mouth coverage during coughing and sneezing reduces TB bacterium transmission.
• If diagnosed, completing the full course of antibiotics is important to prevent any drug-resistant TB strains.

TB Is Not Alone, Are All Victorian Diseases Making A Comback?

While TB is getting all the headlines, it is not the only so-called "Victorian disease" making a comeback in England. Health experts sound the alarm that diseases once thought to be relics of the past, such as scarlet fever, typhoid, cholera, whooping cough and rickets, are making a comeback.

Scarlet Fever: A highly contagious bacterial illness affecting children, treatable with antibiotics.

Typhoid: A waterborne disease linked to poor sanitation, still prevalent in some parts of the world.

Cholera: A diarrheal illness that can cause severe dehydration and death if untreated.

Whooping Cough: A respiratory infection particularly dangerous for infants, now controlled through vaccination.

Rickets: A condition caused by vitamin D deficiency, leading to weakened bones, historically common in impoverished communities.

The increase in TB cases in the UK is a grim reminder that infectious diseases are still a persistent threat, especially to vulnerable communities. Health experts are calling on policymakers to strengthen public health initiatives, improve screening measures, and ensure timely treatment to curb the spread of TB.

The uncertainty around the Novavax's COVID-19 vaccine has been exacerbated by the Trump administration. The new government has imposed new requirements on the nation's only traditional protein-based vaccine. These new requirements have led to many confusions about vaccine updates, including other vaccines too, which await approval.

The Wait For Full Approval Is Too Long

Novavax is the maker of the protein-based COVID-19 vaccine, which was on track to receive full approval from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by April 1. However, the approval process was paused because of Dr Sara Brenner, the FDA's acting commissioner. The reason for delay has raised many questions about the interference, including political, especially after Dr Peter Marks, FDA's longtime vaccine chief had left following disagreements with Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. These events have further led to the apprehensions of uncertainty regarding the vaccine's future.

As of now, Novavax's vaccine is only authorized for emergency use. Unlike mRNA vaccines form Pfizer and Moderna, which have full approval, the Novavax vaccine holds the EUA or the Emergency Use Authorization, which allows it to be distributed during public health emergencies. However, once the emergency ends, the FDA can remove these vaccines from market unless full approval is granted.

What Caused The Delay?

The FDA had initially planned to approve Novavax's vaccine by its April 1 target date. However, sources familiar with the situation revealed that Trump appointees influenced the delay. Since then, Novavax has been in discussions with the FDA to determine additional requirements for approval. In the meantime, the FDA's recent comments have fueled concerns that Novavax’s vaccine may be treated as a “new product” due to its updates to match last year’s coronavirus strain. This would require new clinical trials, a process unlikely to be completed before the fall.

ALSO READ: Novavax Says FDA Approval Back on Track for Its COVID Vaccine

This approach to Novavax’s vaccine approval stands in stark contrast to the FDA’s treatment of the mRNA vaccines, where annual strain updates have been handled in a way similar to flu vaccines, requiring only small-scale tests to demonstrate the vaccine’s continued effectiveness against new strains. Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert, argued that it would be unnecessary to treat these annual updates as “new products” requiring full trials, as long as the updated vaccines show that they produce protective antibody levels.

Role Of HHS Secretary

Of course Robert F Kennedy Jr will have a role to play, being the Health Secretary, and a known vaccine skeptic. Despite claiming in recent speeches that he is not anti-vaccine, Kennedy’s past associations with anti-vaccine groups have raised alarms. His nonprofit, Children’s Health Defense, has been involved in campaigns questioning vaccine safety, and Kennedy himself has made public statements suggesting that vaccines can cause autism—a long-debunked claim.

His actions have also contributed to the uncertainty that surrounds the Novavax's approval today and the overall direction of US vaccine policies.

Is Novavax Different From Other Vaccines?

What sets Novavax apart from other COVID-19 vaccines is its traditional approach. While Pfizer and Moderna’s mRNA vaccines use genetic instructions to create a temporary version of the virus’ spike protein, Novavax’s vaccine contains lab-grown copies of the spike protein itself. This approach has been used for decades in vaccines for diseases like hepatitis B and shingles, making it a more familiar method for people who may be hesitant about mRNA vaccines.

Danish multinational pharmaceutical company Novo Nordisk has launched Wegovy in Thailand, marking the entry of its hugely popular weight loss drug in Southeast Asian market. First launched in 2021, Wegovy helped make Novo Nordisk Europe's most valuable listed company until recently, worth $615 billion at its peak. Wegovy is a semaglutide shot, which means that it is a GLP-1 receptor agonist.

"We actually received the Thai FDA approval already in 2023," said Enrico Canal Bruland, vice president and general manager of Novo's Thai subsidiary. He noted that Novo was making Wegovy available in Thailand ahead of rival Eli Lilly's Zepbound. Wegovy is currently available for prescription in private hospitals around the country and will be available soon in public hospitals. Notably, Bruland declined to provide details on Wegovy's pricing in Thailand, which has a population of around 66 million, or Novo Nordisk's plans for expansion into other Southeast Asian markets.

Notably, the most popular GLP-1 agonist Ozempic was also created by Novo Nordisk. Earlier this month, the pharma giant expanded its research in the field diabetes and weight loss drug and announced that its diabetes pill, Rybelsus, demonstrated cardiovascular benefits in a late-stage trial. The findings pave the way for the medication to become a new treatment option for people living with both diabetes and heart disease.

How Do Semaglutides Work?

Semglutide is the synthetic version of GLP-1—a natural hormone produced in the intestines that regulates blood sugar, appetite, and digestion. Now, every time you eat, your body produces various hormones, including GLP-1. These are called Post nutrition hormones, and help you absorb the energy you just consumed.

GLP-1 travels to your pancreas, prompting it to produce insulin. It also travels to the hypothalamus in your brain, which gives you the feeling of being full or satiated. Ozempic imitates this hormone, thereby, silencing the food chatter in the brain. Interestingly, for some people this food chatter is really quiet ( people with low appetite) and for others it is an outbrurst, (people who generally binge eat.) So with Ozempic, silencing this self-talk in the brain, people tend to lose their appetite and eventually weight.

However, it is important to note that losing weight includes not just fat but muscle as well. Losing too much muscle can lead to reduced strength and a shorter life span. Notably, records show that most people who start taking them stop it at 12 weeks; therefore, it is important for some but not for others.

Notably, last month, US pharma major Eli Lilly launched the obesity management drug Mounjaro in India at one-fifth of the US price. The company rolled out the drug in a single-dose vial following the marketing authorisation from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO). It has been priced at Rs 3,500 for a 2.5 mg vial and Rs 4,375 for a 5 mg vial. "It is a first-of-its-kind treatment for obesity, overweight, and type 2 diabetes that activates both GIP (glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide) and GLP-1 (glucagon-like peptide-1) hormone receptors," the company said.

One moment, Dr Cornelius Sullivan was focused on a patient during surgery, and the next moment, he woke up in ambulance, headed to the emergency room.

According to the American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA), Dr Sullivan had struck his head on a monitor that had been moved behind him in a surgery center. This serious accident had resulted in a two-night hospital stay and kept him away from work for weeks. However, this is not the first time he had suffered a work-related injury. This is, in fact, the third time this has happened, noted ASA.

"Boom Strikes"

These injuries are often called "boom strikes". These occur when anesthesiologists accidentally bump into operating room (OR) equipment that is mounted on fixed or moveable arms. These could be monitors, lights, or screens.

While any OR staff member could be hurt this way, anesthesiologists are particularly more vulnerable to such injuries. Their work requires them to operate in tight, also, often crowded spaces. It also requires them to move quickly during emergencies, which further increases the risk of collision with equipment.

Why The Problem Is Growing?

As per ASA, the risk of boom strikes have been on the rise. This is also because of an increase in sophisticated equipment being added to operating rooms and surgeries are also now performed in much smaller spaces.

As per a survey conducted by the organization, it was found that more than half of anesthesiologists reported experiencing at least one work-related injury, including head injuries. These numbers have highlighted the growing concern over physical safety in an already demanding and high-pressure environment.

Can New Guidelines Improve Safety?

In response to these alarming findings, the ASA has issued a new Statement on Anesthesiologist Head Injuries in Anesthetizing Locations.

The statement formally recognizes boom strikes as a serious occupational hazard and even a potential medical emergency — especially dangerous during outpatient procedures or in cases where no backup anesthesiologist is immediately available to take over patient care.

Dr. Mary Ann Vann, chair of ASA's Ad Hoc Committee on the Physical Demands of Anesthesiologists, also experienced a work-related head injury. Drawing from personal experience, Dr. Vann helped develop the new safety recommendations, aimed at preventing such incidents.

What Have Been The Key Recommendations?

The ASA outlined several measures to reduce the risk of head injuries among anesthesiologists, including:

Holding Regular Safety Meetings: OR teams should meet frequently to discuss safety concerns and review past incidents.

Creating Safety Teams: Special teams should be tasked with reviewing and tracking reports of boom strikes to identify patterns and solutions.

Involving Anesthesia Staff in Room Planning: Clinical anesthesia personnel should have a voice when designing or rearranging procedure rooms to ensure equipment placement considers movement and space needs.

Tracking Head Injuries: Systematic documentation of head injuries can help health systems better understand causes and outcomes, leading to more informed prevention strategies.

The ASA emphasized that head injuries in the OR are not just minor accidents but events that can have serious consequences for patient safety and anesthesiologists’ health.

By implementing the new guidelines and raising awareness, the ASA hopes to make operating rooms safer environments for all medical professionals — and ensure that anesthesiologists can continue their vital work without unnecessary risk.