Miss South Africa winner fears COVID-19 could increase tuberculosis deaths
Michael Gray
Europe;
03:25

 

Tamaryn Green has quite the resume: medical doctor, model, activist and Tuberculosis survivor.

The beauty pageant winner – who was crowned Miss South Africa and Miss Universe runner-up in 2018 – was diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) during her medical studies at the University of Cape Town.

She originally hid her diagnosis due to a fear of the reactions of others, before launching the campaign #BreakTheStigma to help those affected.

TB is a serious infectious disease, which mainly affects the lungs – and Green is concerned about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on TB patients.

 

 

"I think it's going to prevent treatment, management, people are not going to come forward, and I think the mortality and unfortunately morbidity due to TB might increase over the next few years," Green told CGTN Europe. 

"Many of the [global health] resources have been directed to COVID-19 and what's also associated with TB is a lot of stigma, something we thought we were conquering with TB but, again, people are going to stay home because they're scared of the stigma," she added.

Green has been speaking at the 51st Union World Conference on Lung Health, alongside high-profile guests including former U.S. President Bill Clinton and World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.

This year's event is focusing on the links between TB, lung health and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Green, a recently qualified doctor, says being a medical professional during the pandemic is a scary experience. 

"COVID-19 affects patients differently. Some of them come in walking, talking and then the next moment they are on the floor and they have to be incubated. Whereas others come in and they're perfectly fine," she says. 

Green adds that it's a challenging time, both emotionally and mentally "because you see your patients deteriorate in front of you in the blink of an eye."

But she ends on a positive note: "Fortunately our [patient] numbers have become less, there are more beds available and this means that we are doing something right."