Whooping Cough Cases Climb To Pre-Pandemic Levels In 2024
According to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there has been an upsurge in whooping cough cases this year, 2024. Cases reached the highest levels of any time this year, comparable to numbers not observed since before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Way More Than in 2023 — Plague of Whooping Cough Cases
During the week of October 5, there had been a total of 17,579 cases reported in this country: five times higher than the mark (3.962) on that same date last year according to CDC data. That is more than 13,600 cases higher from before the pandemic threw everything out of normal patterns.
What is Whooping Cough?
Pertussis (whooping cough) is a complex, multi-stage disease which carries the threat of mortality and serious morbidity in infants. It can be severe and fatal, especially in infants where their immune system is still developing under the age of one; they are at highest risk for these serious complications or even death.
Infants <6 months are the age group that reports consistently highest rate of pertussis; this is emphasized by CDC.
Whooping Cough: Protecting Your Family with Vaccination
In a statement to Reuters, the CDC added that vaccination is “the single most effective step we can take” in terms of whooping cough prevention; however immunity may wane somewhat over time. This fading of the immunity quality is why when vaccinated people do get the disease, they usually experience milder symptoms.
The agency cited the “potentially serious complications” caused by measles, saying that vaccination is critical for individuals of all ages.
Symptoms of Whooping Cough
Diagnosis is then delayed, because the symptoms of whooping cough can seem to be just another cold for over a week. Symptoms can show within 5 to 10 days of exposure, but it has been known for them not to appear up until three weeks after.
Early symptoms may include:
Runny or stuffed-up nose
Mild fever (less than 100.4°F)
Mild, occasional cough
It can cause of apnea — pauses in breathing — and, on rare occasion, be life threatening by causing the infant’s skin to turn blue (cyanosis).
Later symptoms include:
Rapid, violent coughing fits
Pertussis begins with symptoms similar to a cold, followed by coughing spells lasting 1-6 weeks — and sometimes as long as 10 weeks.
Other symptoms include vomiting, broken ribs (occasionally), a high-pitched “whoop” sound when exhaling and collapsed lung in severe cases.
While complications are more common and severe in infants, whooping cough can also cause pneumonia or other serious problems for teenagers and adults.
The Sudden Increase in Cases
There are a number of possible reasons for the increase in whooping cough cases:
Vaccination gaps associated with COVID-19.
Declining immunity from earlier vaccinations.
The CDC said the nation is now trending close to pre-pandemic levels and has been seeing more than 10,000 cases annually.
Regional Trends: More Than 1,000 New COVID-19 Cases Reported In Three States On West Coast; Highest Case Counts Increase Slightly In New York City and Middle Atlantic
So far in 2024, the highest numbers of whooping cough cases have been reported by states on the West Coast and in several Middle Atlantic region states (which include New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania.
Of these, the highest rates of disease and severe outcomes are among infants younger than 1 year old with about one in three very young babies who get pertussis requiring hospitalization for complications such as apnea (slowed or stopped breathing), pneumonia (lung infection) and encephalopathy.
Preventive Measures and Prevention
Maintenance of awareness and adherence to vaccination schedules are important, especially regarding infants who remain at higher risk. The CDC is monitoring the situation, and urges people to stay informed on what preventive steps can be taken.
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