The disease is rare in Finland.
Dmitri Aliev now reveals to a Russian newspaper why the season went so far for him. PDO
Russian figure skater Dmitry Aliev got sick with tuberculosis last year. He tells about his diagnosis for Sport-Express.
Dmitri kept his illness a secret for a long time. He had to miss the entire season, but didn’t want to reveal the reason before. The skater didn’t leave his house at all for months, so as not to make others sick.
– I was antisocial. But on the other hand it was a good thing because I felt that I was responsible for other people and everything related to figure skating. I stayed hidden for a very long time. I didn’t want to disappoint anyone. I was simply scared because I didn’t know how the disease could be transmitted, Aliev describes to the magazine.
Tuberculosis is According to the Health Library a universally dangerous disease caused by bacteria, which occurs most often in the lungs. 1.25 million people worldwide die from tuberculosis every year. It is most common in poor areas of Asia and Africa. Tuberculosis is rare in Finland: less than 200 cases of tuberculosis are diagnosed each year.
Tuberculosis is spread through the air by coughing droplets containing the bacteria that cause pulmonary tuberculosis. Infection usually requires a long-term stay in the same indoor spaces.
Grim consequences
The athlete was treated with chemotherapy for six and a half months. The treatment period was tough for Aliev, and many things in his life changed during it. Among other things, he broke up with his girlfriend and became depressed. My mind turned dark.
– As if I died from the inside. But I quickly changed my way of thinking and tried to find new, different ways to calm myself down. I started playing music and took singing lessons. I oriented my thoughts in a new way towards life and my own value, says Aliev.
Aliev is the European champion from 2020 and the Youth Olympic champion from 2016.
