What Risk Does Tuberculosis (TB) Pose to Homeless NYC Students?
Photo credit: PIC4U - stock.adobe.com Most Americans are at low risk of tuberculosis infection. To the fortunate members of our society, tuberculosis can seem like the sort of thing that plagued our ancestors, but is now all but nonexistent. However, among homeless populations across our country, it is a real and persistent threat. This blog post will explore how prevalent TB is among homeless NYC students as well as the risks it poses to their health and education. How Common Is TB Among Homeless NYC Students? Last year, there were 10,347 tuberculosis cases in the United States. [ 1 ] New York City accounted for 839 of the state’s 1,083 TB cases, a 24 percent increase from 2023. [ 2 ] Four percent of those infected - or approximately 34 individuals - were seventeen or younger. [Ibid] While many factors contributed to these alarming stats, a substantial number of those infected were homeless. Indeed, those without safe, reliable housing are ten times more likely to co...