North East mum's whooping cough warning after daughter's 'terrifying' ordeal (2024)

FAQs

Will a whooping cough go away? ›

Whooping cough usually causes cold symptoms that last for 1 to 2 weeks, followed by up to 3 months of severe coughing. The last stage consists of another few weeks of recovery with gradual clearing of symptoms. In some children, the recovery period can last for months.

Whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is a highly contagious bacterial infection that mainly affects the lungs and airways. Whooping cough is sometimes known as the 100-day cough because of how long it takes to recover from it.

Unfortunately, you can get pertussis more than once, but this is fairly uncommon. Once you have pertussis, you develop an immune response to help fight off the infection in the future, but immunity goes away after several years and you can get pertussis again.

After an incubation period of 1 to 3 weeks, pertussis infection typically progresses through 3 distinct stages: the catarrhal phase, the paroxysmal phase, and the convalescent phase.

Prognosis for full recovery from pertussis is excellent in children older than 3 months of age. In those younger than 3 months, the mortality is 1-3%. Complications of pertussis in older infants and children usually are minimal, and most patients make a gradual, but full, recovery with supportive care and antibiotics.

Treatment for whooping cough

If whooping cough is diagnosed within 3 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 3 weeks, you're no longer contagious and do not need antibiotics.

Parapertussis is a disease that affects the lungs. Parapertussis is similar to pertussis (whooping cough), but is less severe. Holmesii is a relatively new bacteria. It is similar to parapertussis and pertussis, but it is less common.

It is a serious lung infection caused by bacteria. It is also very contagious and causes coughing fits. Whooping cough is most serious for babies with very small airways. It can lead to death.

How to tell the difference between a normal cough and a whooping cough? ›

Symptoms of whooping cough

The bouts usually last a few minutes at a time and tend to be more common at night. Coughing usually brings up thick mucus and may be followed by vomiting. Between coughs, you or your child may gasp for breath – this may cause a 'whoop' sound, although not everyone has this.

Most common colds wrap up in less than 2 weeks, but whooping cough will start to get worse. As soon as you suspect you might have whooping cough – or any time you have cold-like symptoms that don't get better in a few weeks – see your doctor.

Pertussis bacteria die off naturally after three weeks of coughing. If antibiotics are not started within that time, they are no longer recommended. Antibiotics can also be given to close contacts of persons with pertussis to prevent or lessen the symptoms.

Although infection can occur throughout the year, be particularly cautious during the summer and fall months when pertussis cases tend to peak. “Our goal is to keep everyone healthy. This means increasing vaccination rates, practicing universal precautions, and diagnosing and treating early," Dr. Mora explained.

What are the symptoms? The first symptoms of pertussis may be similar to those of a common cold, including nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, red and watery eyes, mild fever, and a dry cough. After about one week to 2 weeks, the dry cough becomes a wet cough that brings up thick, stringy mucus.

Adults working with infants and young children under 4 years of age and all health care workers should receive a dose of pertussis vaccine. A booster dose is recommended every 10 years. People who have previously had pertussis infection are still recommended to receive a pertussis-containing vaccine as scheduled.