The White Plague

The White Plague is a dangerous and lethal and widespread disease that seems to murder an alarmingly large number of people every week all across Feorth, in particular in human societies. Its symptoms are vague enough to be covered by a multitude of similar but less lethal diseases, and include:

• Having a prolonged cough that can be accompanied by spitting out blood and severe chest pain while and after coughing.
• Feeling weak and fainting frequently, without apparent reasons.
• Being overly tired and fatigued no matter how much one slept or how well one perceived one's sleep to be.
• Rapidly losing a lot of weight and struggling to put it back on, resulting in a common image of starved patients with ribs showing and who seem to haven't eaten in weeks.
• High fever that spikes at night and will not cool down.
• Night sweats to an intensity where night gown and linen must be changed every few hours to keep the patients comfortable and prevent freezing, a problem worsened by the patients' malnourishment and sickly thin figure that fails to retain warmth adequately.

The prevention of the White Plague while not impossible is a difficult path to follow, especially in a society that does not understand bacterial infections and the spread of which. The first step is for patients to alert a healer or other medical workers if common symptoms such as the prolonged cough, fever, and unexplained weight loss appear. This can lead to an early isolation and help avoid a further spread of the disease, as well as improve the patients' chances of recovery as fluids get replenished, bodies get rest, and professional people can look after the sick people who need care and attention more than anything.
Whether or not the White Plague is diagnosed, wearing masks — often with dainty designs in the upper classes —, avoiding contact with infected people or when feeling ill, covering mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing, frequantly washing hands and body, and disposing of used tissues without infecting others by collecting them separately and burning them, can all help prevent a further spread.

Type

Bacterial