Cases of highly contagious ‘100-day cough’ increase by 50% a week

Weekly cases of a contagious ‘100-day cough’ have risen by almost 50% in England and Wales.

It’s winter and as per usual there’s some pesky bugs doing the rounds while everyone at work is ‘dropping like flies’.

One in particular is a contagious cough that seems to go on and on and on, even after someone insists they’ve recovered from whatever illness they had.

If you haven’t had it already, you probably know someone who has – and is likely still coughing away while sitting at the back of the office.

This hacking, barking annoyance that continues for several weeks after the feeling of illness has left has been dubbed the ‘100-day cough’ and has swept through the country in recent weeks.

Also known as the ‘Whooping Cough’, or medically as Pertussis, cases of the illness have risen sharply over the first few weeks of January 2024.

Whooping cough is an infection of the lungs and breathing tubes caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria. It spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems, especially in infants under one year of age.

Symptoms of Whooping Cough listed on the NHS website include:

• coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night
• may make a ‘whoop’ sound – a gasp for breath between coughs (young babies and some adults may not ‘whoop’)
• may have difficulty breathing after a coughing bout and may turn blue or grey (young infants)
• may bring up a thick mucus, which can make you vomit
• may become very red in the face (more common in adults)

According to the NHS, the cough may last for several weeks or months. (These symptoms can present in both adults and children).

Parents of babies and young children are urged to contact their GP or call 111 if your baby is under six months old and has symptoms of whooping cough, including if:

• 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

Parents are being urged to get their children vaccinated against Whooping Cough, along with pregnant women, as health experts warn of an increase in cases not seen for several years.

Despite this, in the UK, one in 10 infants don’t have their vaccination by the age of two.

Public Health Wales PHW says in the last few weeks notifications of Whooping Cough have risen sharply. Following reduced circulation in 2020-2022, current notifications are at levels not seen since 2012 and 2015.

Dr Gayatri Amirthalingam, a consultant epidemiologist at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), said: “Before the introduction of routine immunisation, whooping cough used to affect tens of thousands of people.

“Thanks to vaccination this has dropped dramatically but the infection hasn’t gone away completely as neither infection nor vaccination can provide life-long protection.

“Social distancing and lockdown measures imposed across the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic had a significant impact on the spread of infections, including whooping cough.

“As expected, we are now seeing cases of whooping cough increase again so it’s vital pregnant women ensure they get vaccinated to protect their baby.”

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