‘Highly contagious’ Risks and dangers of whooping cough

Health officials said that the current deadly outbreak is “overdue” following suppression of the spread of whooping cough disease during the pandemic due to lockdown and other restrictions.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) said “the impact of the pandemic also means there is reduced immunity in the population”.

What is whooping cough?

The name is given to a bacterial chest infection which can last for up to 100 days. “It’s highly contagious and it’s spread via respiratory droplets,” says Dr Safia Debar, executive health GP at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London.

The illness progresses through three stages, the first being largely similar to a common cold with symptoms such as a runny nose, sore eyes and sneezing. After two weeks, infected individuals begin to develop bouts of intense coughing, sometimes followed by an audible whoop or gasp for breath between coughs. Young children may turn blue or grey as they struggle to breathe while adults might become red in the face.

How serious is whooping cough?

The illness is most dangerous to newborn babies and infants. Most children under six months require hospital treatment after contracting it because it can cause the brain to swell and convulsions. Up to 3 per cent of those under three months old die from the illness.

“Babies are vulnerable because their immune systems haven’t fully developed,” says Dr Dipender Gill,of Imperial College London. “It’s quite prevalent in school-aged children as well.”

In teenagers and adults, serious cases can lead to pneumonia, fainting and even rib fractures due to the intensity of the coughing fits.

How can you protect yourself ?

Because whooping cough is so infectious, Dr Debar recommends self-isolating if your doctor suspects that you have the illness, at least for five days while antibiotics kick in. However, the most effective preventable measure is to get vaccinated. Babies at eight, 12 and 16 weeks old are eligible for an jab on the NHS along with other vaccines. Another booster shot can be given when the child is three.

How is it treated?

Dr Debar says that doctors will typically carry out a throat swab to see whether someone is infected with the Bordetella pertussis bacterium and if so, prescribe antibiotics.

“After the first three weeks, the infection tends to wane and sometimes if you’re just left with the chronic cough, it could be that you do not need antibiotics.”

She says that once any fever has passed, it’s not necessary to remain in bed, and instead there are certain remedies to alleviate the coughing.

“The coughing can be worse at night so you want the environment to be as moist as possible. So, use a humidifier, make sure the temperature is appropriate.”