Korean Job Discussion Forums

[jetrash]

[captain kirk]

You say 30% of Koreans have TB. Would that be mostly adults or children or both? I work around children all day. I assume they aren't TB carriers. That's for horking old men, right?^^

[jetrash]

children have it too..its really to do with proximity to other carrier,their family,coughing over each other ,sharing spoons etc

the old guys just have had it for longer,so more messed up diseased lungs,and the TB tainted flem n cough combo thats so big in their demographic.

but in precis..the longer in korea(as citizen or visitor) the higher the risk to exposure....as some posters have contracted it here,and we are such a small community,i think it says it all.

[captain kirk]

I have some questions, jetrash.

The tubercular old guys. How did they end up having it untreated for so long? Salarymen and teachers get health checks every two years I think it is. This includes, I assume, a TB check.

Since tuberculosis is a serious disease how is it that, as you say, 30% of Koreans have it? Why is that? Why isn't there checking and treatment to follow up?

I don't know anything about tuberculosis, really. But it seems there's less of it back in the U.S., Canada, etc. Is that because there's more checking and treatment. Thus the numbers of infected are down?

I've heard that there's more hepatitis in Korea than back in the West, as well. Why is that? My point is why, if these are serious communicable diseases, aren't checks and then treatments controlling them to keep the numbers of infected down?

Why is there this scary number like 30% infected with tuberculosis possible here, in Korea, which is the 12th largest economic power (or so I've heard, corrrect me if I'm wrong).

And, if most Koreans are not tested (again, why is this?), why are we being tested for TB as part of the new, required health checks to qualify for an E2 visa (I assume TB check is on the scans).

[jetrash]

look,korea is still an unregulated society.
IE.they have toilets next to kitchens,food prep areas..your here you know the deal.
IE.they wash food on the floor,then serve it.
IE.they dont even put their hands over their mouths and cough straight into you.
in chinese chambers of state there are still spittoons(go to the chinese govt buildings in beijing )
the doctors here make it up as they go along.
their food sharing/hygene/overcrowding allow and promote the spread of TB...
THE GOVT CONTROLS THE PRESS AND WANTS KOREA TO APPEAR CLEAN/MODERN SO NO REPORTING.
OVERCROWDING HAS INCREASED
TB HAS ALWAYS BEEN PRESENT HERE AT A HIGH LEVEL
ABUSE OF WESTERN ANTIBIOTICS BY SLAPDASH MEDICAL CARE HAS MUTATED THE TB VIRUS HERE AND CHINA
PROXIMITY TO NORTH KOREA WHERE REDCROSS HAS DECLARED EPIDEMIC

PS.on the hep issue i can get the figure from the seoul hospital tomorrow..i know again like TB the figure is not published

[ryouga013]

It seems the commmon pretest for TB is an Xray. I will be getting my tests for that fairly soon. If something shows up in the Xray, then they do a different test.

and yeah, some people do confuse TB with bronchitis, especially when they can get a very bad case of it. A year ago I got a viral and bacterial form of bronchitis at the same time and was sick for a month... it was hell. blood mucus and everything in between...

As far as an outbreak goes, I am not aware of anything really happening at the moment, but I am out of the loop on many things.

[gangpae]

Korea Spittle!

[Harpeau]

FWIW, I was exposed to TB while living in Toronto. I got meds over 8 months or so and was profilaxed~ whatever. My doctor told me that I'll never get infected or die of TB.

TB is rampant in North Korea. In the South, it seems to be fairly prevalent. One needs to look at exposure and infection. They are two different things.

My point is that TB is all around the world.

[gangpae]

The 30% number is ridiculous. That would be a plague. 2 packs a day is the main reason for the coughing, saliva spitting ajjeoshi.

[jetrash]

[PeteJB]

Good thing I got a TB shot before coming.

[ttompatz]

[jetrash]

i agree.. also the new TB strains in asia are TOTALLY resistant to the BCG vaccine,as i said ealier in thread..whatever ones age.

[tob55]

We just had a student at our high school die of TB last week. Tragic, but preventable in most cases if people would go to a University hospital instead of trusting the local variety doctor that exists in most places. I see way too many sick people that could get relief if they would exercise a bit more common sense. I am an MD in Alt Med myself, and I have to say I would never even consider fooling people into the thinking that everything was okay by taking a small regime of herbs and natural remedies. Health matters are important, and people need to start being practical about their personal health needs. Countless thousands of people die because they have been fooled into thinking they will get better with time, and eventually passed the point of curable action and remedy from their illness. The vast majority of physicians in this country can treat the normal everyday symptoms people exhibit, but they must be willing to recognize when other options must be put into play when people do not respond to medication or therapy.

As a physician and practitioner I am inclined to believe the fields of medicine should be working together more rather than against each other with such vehemency.

[jetrash]