There are a lot of people who have been coughing lately, some because of mycoplasma, some because of the flu...... One of the diseases that lasts for a long time and is very uncomfortable is whooping cough, which should not be ignored.
The incidence of whooping cough has increased
From January to December 2023, a total of 38,205 cases of whooping cough were reported across the country, of which the incidence increased significantly from July, and a total of 9,126 cases were reported in December, as shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1 Report of pertussis in China from January to December 2023
According to the statistical analysis of the reported cases of pertussis in China in the past 15 years, except for the impact of the prevention and control of the new crown epidemic from 2020 to 2022, the number of reported cases of pertussis in the country showed a significant upward trend, as shown in Figure 2.
Fig. 2 Report of pertussis in China in the past 15 years
So what exactly is whooping cough, how should we judge, and how can we prevent it?
What is whooping cough?
百日咳（Pertussis，Whooping Cough）是由百日咳鲍特杆菌感染引起的急性呼吸道传染病。
Untreated, cough symptoms can last for 2 to 3 months, hence the name "whooping cough".
01 Symptom manifestation
Typical manifestations of whooping cough include paroxysmal cough, inhaled wheezing, and post-cough vomiting. Typical presentations are usually seen in unvaccinated children under 10 years of age with initial infection, but may occur in vaccinated children and adults.
In the initial stages of infection (1 to 2 weeks), it presents mainly with mild cough and catarrhal symptoms, fever is rare, and if the patient has fever, it is usually low-grade.
During the exacerbation of the infection (2 to 8 weeks), the severity of cough episodes increases, often presenting with paroxysmal cough, and some children may even present with gagging, cyanosis, and dyspnea.
After weeks to months of coughing, the cough enters the recovery phase of infection, and the cough weakens in intensity and decreases in frequency until it disappears.
02 Pathogenesis process
03 Susceptible population
The population is generally susceptible. Among them, children under 5 years old are the most susceptible. The incidence of pertussis increases periodically, with the annual incidence fluctuating between (0.32-0.68)/100,000, and if not treated in time, a small number of children will die of pneumonia and encephalitis.
Infants are susceptible to pertussis, and infants and young children who are not of immunization age or have not completed the full course of vaccination are at high risk. It is mainly transmitted through respiratory droplets, and when patients, latent infections and carriers cough, talk, and sneeze, the respiratory secretions carrying the bacteria will be discharged into the surrounding air, and healthy people are infected by inhaling a certain amount of pathogenic bacteria.
How to prevent whooping cough?
Although whooping cough is "vicious", parents can prevent it in the following ways:
01 Get vaccinated in time
Vaccination is one of the important ways to prevent pertussis, and mainland children are given one dose at 3, 4, 5 and 18 months of age. Vaccines containing pertussis components include adsorbed acellular diphtheria-pertussis vaccine ("diphtheria-pertussis vaccine"), acellular diphtheria-pertussis ("diphtheria-pertussis vaccine"), acellular diphtheria-pertussis inactivated polio and Haemophilus influenzae type b (conjugated) combination vaccine ("quintuple vaccine").
02 Cut off the route of transmission
Control the source of infection and cut off the route of transmission. If a patient is found, he or she should be isolated at home or hospitalized according to the doctor's instructions (until 5 days after effective antimicrobial treatment or 21 days after coughing), and wear a mask until the cough disappears. Patients need to open windows regularly for ventilation, wet cleaning, and frequent drying of clothes and quilts at home, without terminal disinfection.
Of course, you can also use the Raytheon plasma air sterilizer. It adopts atmospheric pressure non-equilibrium low-temperature plasma jet disinfection technology (APJD), which can quickly kill viruses and bacteria in the air, block the transmission route of viruses, and prevent cross-infection of people.
Moreover, the negative oxygen ions released by it can not only remove aldehyde and deodorize, clear and add oxygen, but also relieve symptoms such as chronic rhinitis and dust allergies, effectively improve sleep quality, and eliminate physical fatigue, which is the best choice for healthy breathing at home!
Whooping cough is not terrible, do a good job of personal protection, get vaccinated as soon as possible, children are protected early, and parents can rest assured as soon as possible!