Poor lifestyle habits among young people lead to a spike in TB cases during the lockdown.

The number of tuberculosis cases (tuberculosis) among young people in the 16-22 year age group increases due to poor choices such as lack of physical activity, bad eating and sleeping schedules, and increased screen time. Break free from a sedentary lifestyle, follow a balanced diet, exercise daily, and reduce screen time to prevent tuberculosis in the younger population. Tuberculosis (TB) is a life-threatening and contagious infection that affects the lungs. 

Dr. Arvind Kate, a pulmonologist at Zen Multispeciality Hospital, notes the worrying trend in tuberculosis among young people. "During the blockade, there was a significant increase in the incidence of tuberculosis among young people. Causes of tuberculosis are insufficient sun exposure due to housing bonding during the blockade, lack of daily exercise, poor dietary habits due to increased consumption of junk food, too much screen time, and lack of sleep. So, a person's immunity is exposed. These factors make young people susceptible to tuberculosis and increase patient morbidity and mortality. However, tuberculosis can be prevented and treated with proper medical care."

The coronavirus pandemic has hit those with tuberculosis in India, increasing the estimated number of deaths from lung infection from 445,000 in 2019 to 500,000 in 2020, according to the World Health Organization's Global Tuberculosis Health Report 2021. India accounts for 34% of all TB deaths. According to the report, the mortality rate (estimated mortality/estimated incidence) has increased from 17% in 2019 to 20% in 2020. Non-COVID diseases, including tuberculosis, have been neglected since the pandemic. Risk factors for tuberculosis include HIV infection (the virus that causes AIDS), substance abuse, low body weight, alcohol, diabetes, cancer, and exposure to someone with tuberculosis. Due to the pandemic, most young people do not seek screening, increasing the incidence of tuberculosis.