COVID-19 is killing us all one way or another. Whether it is killing us literally (not to be insensitive), killing our happiness, killing our motivation, killing our morale, I believe we can all come to a consensus that it is miserable. It seems as if everything is put on pause (except homework- *sigh*), and nothing matters other than what is going on in terms of this virus. Things that seemed so pressing before (and honestly are still quite pressing) are no longer discussed- things such as crime, the political race, weather, or anything else for that matter. Well friends, I am here to break it to you… life and problems and crime and weather and all that fun stuff is STILL GOING ON. The world has not stopped because of a virus. One thing that has definitely not stopped is disease. Just because one virus has taken over the news doesn’t mean it’s the only virus that can take over our bodies. Today, after a post I’ve already made about COVID-19, I thought I would distract your mind with another horrible disease that can possibly kill you :).
Hepatitis B is a virus that primarily impacts the liver. It is one of those great diseases that, despite our most valiant efforts, we just cannot stop. We have developed treatment and we have developed vaccines, but the virus has not stopped. We are further developing treatments, as we mature scientifically, in hopes that one day this disease can be controlled. As of right now, there is a medication that targets IFN-alpha, a target that I have discussed in earlier posts. However, this is proven to be only 20% effective. Because the disease continues to progress and mutate, it is something that is still concerning, despite its lack of focus in news articles.
Hepatitis B has infected millions of people worldwide. It is a virus of serious concern, as although we have developed those vaccines and medications that barely work, case rates have wavered slightly from year to year. The CDC has provided an excellent graph and explanation as to the concern around Hepatitis B. The goal for 2020 is to keep the mortality rate below 0.48 per 100,000, continuing the slowly downward trend in the past decade. The past two years have been well below this rate and it is the intention to continue doing so. To do your part in helping this be a success, get tested if you have suspicion and ensure that you are treated correctly. Like any other disease, taking necessary action will ensure that we continue to lower the prevalence and intensity of these diseases.
Landyn's Microbial World 