KEEP A CHECK ON YOUR COUGH

Whooping cough is highly contagious here’s how to recognise it and protect yourself and others

- ALI GRAVES AND LUCY ROBINSON

We’ve all experienced an annoying cough – those tickly ones that are hard to shift in the night, or the ones that hit a bit harder in the chest – but there’s an older one doing the rounds and it’s spreading like wildfire.

Whooping cough – or the 100-day cough – is a highly contagious respiratory infection caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis and as of March 2024, data published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) shows there has been a continued increase in whooping cough cases since the start of this year.

The condition triggers severe coughing fits that often end in a whooping sound when the person breathes in. Dr Johannes Uys, a doctor at Broadgate GP, warns that at first many think it’s just a common cold.

“It seems harmless enough but then the infection progresses to severe and prolonged coughing fits. If left untreated, whooping cough can lead to complications like pneumonia, weight loss, urinary incontinence and rib fractures from severe coughing. In rare cases, it can be life-threatening, especially in infants and older adults.”

Dr Andy Whittamore, clinical lead at charity Asthma + Lung UK, agrees. “It can be difficult to tell the difference between the infection and a head cold and hay fever at first.”

The infection starts in what is known as the Catarrhal stage – like a common cold – followed by the Paroxysmal stage with intense, exhausting coughing, then the Convalescent stage.