Could YOUR child have whooping cough? Graphic reveals symptoms to look out for – and how to tell a ‘100 day cough’ from a cold

Britons were today warned to look out for whooping cough symptoms, amid a worrying spike in cases that has left five babies dead.

Nearly 3,000 cases have already been registered in 2024 – three times as many as in all of 2023.

The widening outbreak threatens to become the largest in more than a decade.

Health chiefs say Covid lockdowns have fueled England’s unprecedented epidemic of the infection, nicknamed the ‘100-day cough’.

Vaccination rates have also fallen in the wake of the pandemic, a trend experts blame on rising skepticism.

But what are the telltale signs of whooping cough? How can you treat it? And how is it different from a cold?

Here, MailOnline explains everything you need to know about the infection.

What is whooping cough?

Medically known as whooping cough, the bacterial chest infection usually progresses in three stages – with the first being largely similar to the common cold.

Patients may then develop a chronic cough that lasts for several weeks.

Experts recommend anyone with a persistent cough lasting more than two weeks should see a doctor.

Dr. Safia Debar, executive GP at Mayo Clinic Healthcare in London, said: ‘Particularly if you also have symptoms such as lethargy and fever, or if you have been in contact with someone with whooping cough, definitely seek medical attention.’

Meanwhile, Dr Michael Head, a senior research fellow in global health at the University of Southampton, said: ‘Whooping cough can have a very long infectious period of around two to three weeks – the period during which an infected individual is able to transmit diseases. the bacteria on others.

‘So there may be ample opportunities for people to mingle, for transmission to occur and for an infection of a vulnerable individual, such as a baby, to occur.’

What are the symptoms?

Health officials warned that the infection may initially be difficult to distinguish from a cold, with the first signs typically being a runny nose and sore throat.

But about a week later, patients may experience coughing fits that last minutes, have difficulty breathing after coughing, and make a “whoop” sound between coughs.

Other signs of whooping cough, as it is medically known, include bringing up thick mucus that can cause vomiting.

Young children may turn blue or gray due to breathing difficulties, while adults may become red in the face.

Most children under six months of age need to be hospitalized after contracting whooping cough due to the risk of brain swelling and convulsions.

Between one and three percent of people under three months of age die from the disease.

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

How do you treat whooping cough?

Doctors will usually do a throat swab to see if someone is infected with the Bordetella pertussis bacteria.

They are able to distribute antibiotics as treatment if whooping cough is detected within three weeks.

However, if someone is infected for longer, antibiotics will not speed up recovery.

Doctors recommend focusing on managing symptoms by getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, and using a cool mist humidifier to soothe the cough.

Painkillers such as ibuprofen or paracetamol can also help with discomfort.

Can it be prevented?

Because whooping cough is so contagious, experts recommend self-isolating for at least five days while antibiotic treatment begins if you suspect you have the disease.

However, the most effective preventable measure is vaccination.

The 6-in-1 vaccine, given to babies aged eight, 12 and 16 weeks, and the 4-in-1 pre-school booster, given to children aged three years and four months, are crucial for protection against whooping cough.

Pregnant women are also encouraged to get the vaccine to protect their babies from the infection in the first few weeks of life.

However, uptake of the 6-in-1 vaccine fell to a record low of 92.6 percent in 2023, while the 4-in-1 shot reached 83.3 percent, also the lowest level on record, according to data from the NHS England dating back to 2010. .

Meanwhile, only 61.5 percent of expectant mothers received the whooping cough shot in 2022 – the smallest number in seven years.

In London this figure is even lower (41.4 percent).

What is the difference with a cold?

Whooping cough is similar to other types of respiratory diseases in the early stages.

Dr. Head said, “You’ll have some kind of cough, and maybe a runny nose or fever. It’s very, very difficult to tell the difference between whooping cough and something else at that stage.

‘You only notice that it is whooping cough later in the presentation when that characteristic ‘hoop’ sound is heard.’

Since not everyone experiences this symptom, the disease is difficult to accurately diagnose without laboratory tests, he added.

“That’s another reason why outbreaks are difficult to control and why vaccination is critical,” he said.

Surveillance statistics show that 2,793 laboratory-confirmed cases have been reported this year through the end of March.

Of these, 556 were felled in January, 918 in February and 1,319 in March.

Half (50.8 percent) belonged to the age groups of 15 years and older, while more than a quarter (28.6 percent) were children aged 10 to 14 years old.

But the figures remained highest in babies under three months, who are most at risk.