Sufferers of ‘100-day cough’ warned to stay off work and school as cases surge

24 January 2024 , 23:28

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A woman struggles with a chesty cough (file image) (Image: Getty Images)

People with the nasty whooping cough are being warned to "stay off work and school" for at least two days as cases have hit a 10-year high.

Cases of the bacterial infection, known as the "100-day cough", have risen rapidly in Wales in particular in the first weeks of 2024. The NHS for those with symptoms must take antibiotics and avoid work, school or nursery for 48 hours after taking the first lot.

Those who haven't taken antibiotics are recommended to isolate for three weeks after symptoms start, NHS advises. It says babies aged six months or less are particularly susceptible to catching whooping cough, which in some cases could cause dehydration, seizures and breathing difficulties.

There have already been 135 notified cases of the infection in Wales so far in January, the BBC reported, compared to 200 in the whole of last year. Public Health Wales (PHW) said in a recent alert: "Whooping cough has waves of increased infection every three to four years and 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... Laboratory confirmed cases have not yet risen in line with notifications but are likely to increase as test results are reported."

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The unpleasant illness may last for several weeks or months, hence the name "the 100-day cough". It typically causes cold-like symptoms within the first few days before progressing to coughing bouts which are worse at night and you might emit the characteristic "whoop" sound as you gasp for air between coughs.

Dr Christopher Johnson, consultant epidemiologist and head of PHW's Vaccine Preventable Disease Programme said babies under six months old are especially vulnerable to whooping cough.

He warned: "It can be very serious and lead to pneumonia and permanent brain damage. Young babies with whooping cough are at risk of dying from the disease."

Explaining why cases in Wales seem to be rising so sharply, Dr Johnson said: “We typically see high rates of whooping cough peaking every three to four years, and with rates suppressed during the lockdowns of the pandemic we are naturally seeing a resurgence this year.

“Whooping cough is highly contagious and is spread by breathing in small droplets in the air from other people’s coughs and sneezes," the doctor added.

As of January 14, 220 cases of whooping cough were reported in England and Wales, according to the UK Health Security Agency's weekly Notification of Infectious Diseases report (NOIDs). That's up from 167 on January 7 and 137 on December 31.

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