Yahoo News Symptoms of 100-day whooping cough to know as three more babies die
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed last month that five babies, who are most at risk of severe complications, died in England after becoming infected with whooping cough in the first three months of the year. In its latest update, the UKHSA has said another three infants have tragically died.
It comes as lab tests have confirmed 4,793 whooping cough infections in England alone between January and April. That is more than five times as many confirmed cases as there were during the whole of 2023 (858) and the highest since the last major outbreak in 2012.
Just under half of cases so far this year have been in children under the age of 15 (49%). That includes 181 cases in babies under the age of three months.
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At this point during the 2012 outbreak, 101 babies had been infected. Separate figures show that the UKHSA has received more than 31,000 notifications of suspected whooping cough cases in England and Wales so far this year, including 4,360 in the last three weeks up to June 2.
These are alerts that GPs are required to send to the UKHSA every time they diagnose a case of what they believe to be the “100-day cough”. That includes 934 cases in the latest week.
While these notifications are of suspected cases that lab tests have not yet confirmed, they provide an early warning of possible outbreaks. In the last three weeks, more possible cases have been diagnosed in Bristol (144) than anywhere else in England and Wales, followed by Sheffield (88) and then Nottingham (85).
Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, consultant epidemiologist at UK Health Security Agency, said: "Our thoughts and condolences are with those families who have so tragically lost their baby. With whooping cough case numbers across the country continuing to rise and sadly the further infant deaths in April, we are again reminded how severe the illness can be for very young babies.
"Pregnant women should have a whooping cough vaccine in every pregnancy, normally around the time of their mid-pregnancy scan (usually 20 weeks). This passes protection to their baby in the womb so that they are protected from birth in the first months of their life when they are most vulnerable and before they can receive their own vaccines.
"The vaccine is crucial for pregnant women, to protect their babies from what can be a devastating illness."
Health officials describe whooping cough as a "cyclical disease", which means it peaks every few years, WalesOnline reports. With whooping cough this is every three to five years. The last big increase was seen in 2016, but cases dipped to very low numbers during the Covid pandemic which means the current peak is "overdue", experts have said.
The impact of the pandemic means there is reduced immunity in the population.
Symptoms of whopping cough
The bacterial infection, also known as pertussis, affects the lungs and breathing tubes. Whooping cough can be called the "100-day cough" because of how long it can take to recover from it, and it spreads very easily. Pregnant women are being urged to take up the offer of the whooping cough vaccine so they can pass on protection to their babies, which should last until they are old enough to get vaccinated themselves.
UKHSA said the first signs of whooping cough are similar to a cold, such as a runny nose and sore throat, but after about a week, the infection can develop into coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are typically worse at night. Young babies may also make a distinctive "whoop" or have difficulty breathing after a bout of coughing, though not all babies make this noise which means whooping cough can be hard to recognise. The cough may last for several weeks or months.
The NHS advises asking for an urgent GP appointment or get help from NHS 111 if:
your baby is under 6 months old and has symptoms of whooping cough
you or your child have a very bad cough that is getting worse
you've been in contact with someone with whooping cough and you're pregnant
you or your child has been in contact with someone with whooping cough and have a weakened immune system
Whooping cough can spread very easily. It's best to call the GP before you go in. They might suggest talking over the phone. Check symptoms on 111 online (for children aged 5 and over) or call 111 (for children under 5).
Babies under 6 months old with whooping cough have an increased chance of having problems such as:
breathing difficulties
Whooping cough is less severe in older children and adults but coughing may cause problems including:
sore ribs
pee leaking out when you cough (urinary incontinence)
The NHS says to call 999 or go to A&E if:
your or your child's lips, tongue, face or skin suddenly turn blue or grey (on black or brown skin this may be easier to see on the palms of the hands or the soles of the feet)
you or your child are finding it hard to breathe properly (shallow breathing)
you or your child have chest pain that's worse when breathing or coughing – this could be a sign of pneumonia
your child is having seizures (fits)
You can find your nearest A&E here.
How to get a whooping cough vaccination
UKHSA also said vaccine uptake has fallen in recent years - both the jabs for pregnant women and children. The NHS recommends all pregnant women are vaccinated against whooping cough between 16 and 32 weeks.
Immunity from the jab passes through the placenta to protect newborn babies in their first weeks of life. When a baby is eight weeks old they are offered the six-in-one vaccine, which includes immunisation against whooping cough.
The second dose of the vaccine is offered at 12 weeks and the third is offered at 16 weeks. When children are three years and four months they will be offered the four-in-one pre-school booster, which protects against pertussis.
Treatment for whooping cough
Treatment for whooping cough depends on your age and how long you've had the infection, the NHS said. Hospital treatment is usually needed if you have severe whooping cough, or your baby is under six months old and has whooping cough.
If whooping cough is diagnosed within three weeks of the infection, you'll be given antibiotics to help stop it spreading to others. Antibiotics may not reduce symptoms. If you've had whooping cough for more than three weeks, you're no longer contagious and do not need antibiotics. The NHS says to keep taking the antibiotics until you've completed the course, even if you feel better. Stopping treatment too soon could lead to the infection coming back.
How to ease the symptoms of whooping cough
The NHS says there are some things you can do to help ease the symptoms of whooping cough.
get plenty of rest
drink lots of fluids
take paracetamol or ibuprofen to relieve discomfort
Don’t:
do not give a child under 16 paracetamol and ibuprofen at the same time – always check first with a GP or pharmacist
do not give aspirin to children under 16
do not take cough medicines – they're not suitable for young children and do not help with this type of cough
How long whooping cough is contagious
If you have whooping cough, you're contagious from about six days after the start of cold-like symptoms to three weeks after the coughing starts. If you start antibiotics within three weeks of starting to cough, it will reduce the time you're contagious for.
The NHS says to stay off school, work or nursery until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or three weeks after the symptoms started if you've not had antibiotics.
