The sanitary regime and the restrictions imposed on us by the COVID-19 epidemic have had an additional positive effect. In Poland, the number of cases of infectious diseases has decreased, including whooping cough, which is more contagious than SARS-CoV-2. This disease is especially dangerous for young children, but anyone can get sick with it.

  1. Whooping cough is more contagious than COVID-19, and in addition, the first symptoms resemble a common cold – this makes diagnosis difficult
  2. The sanitary regime forced on us by the COVID-19 epidemic had an additional positive effect. The number of infectious diseases, including whooping cough, has decreased in Poland
  3. From the beginning of January to mid-May this year, 62 cases of whooping cough were registered in Poland. In the same period last year, there were 550 of them
  4. More information can be found on the Onet homepage.

Whooping cough – the disease is more contagious than COVID-19. How many cases do we have?

Whooping cough – formerly known as whooping cough – is mistakenly viewed as a rare childhood disease, essentially eradicated by a compulsory immunization program. Only one in three Poles is aware that whooping cough can also be diagnosed in adulthood, 11 percent knowledge of the symptoms in adults and only 4 percent. knows about possible complications. Meanwhile, more than half of the diagnosed cases in our country concern people over the age of 15. The infection occurs via droplets.

– Whooping cough is an eminently contagious disease. One cough infects 12-17 people around him, which is 10 times more than in the case of COVID-19, where one cough infects 1,6 people on average. It is easier to get infected with whooping cough than with flu, mumps, rubella or chicken pox – she emphasized at the recent conference «Whooping cough – do not take any chances. Do you really grow out of diseases and vaccinations? », Provincial consultant in the field of infectious diseases and head of the XNUMXrd Department of the Provincial Infectious Hospital in Warsaw, dr n.med. Grażyna Cholewińska-Szymańska.

Meanwhile, the latest data from the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene shows that From the beginning of January to mid-May this year, 62 cases of whooping cough were registered in Poland. In the same period last year, there were 550 of them. The decrease in the number of infectious diseases has – according to experts – the association, inter alia, with restrictions introduced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic, which result, among others, in limiting interpersonal contacts.

Whooping cough – symptoms in adults. At first, it is easy to mistake it for a cold

In the first few weeks, the symptoms of whooping cough are no different from other upper respiratory tract infections. There is a dry cough, runny nose, low-grade fever, pharyngitis. This is followed by typical and prolonged bouts of bothersome prolonged coughing, often ending in loud breathing, vomiting, or apnea. Coughing of varying severity may last for weeks.

Toxins produced by whooping cough bacilli (Bordetella pertussis) destroy alveoli, tiny blood vessels and cause epithelial necrosis in the respiratory tractwhich results in the secretion and accumulation of thick mucus, often with blood, causing this tiring, long-lasting cough and difficulty breathing.

In Poland, compulsory vaccinations against whooping cough in infants and young children were introduced in the 60s. Their result was a 100-fold decrease in the incidence of the disease. The pertussis vaccine is given as a single injection as a vaccine against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTP – tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis).

Experts say whooping cough does not grow. Adults, like children, should also get vaccinated regularly, and the vaccine should be repeated every 10 years. – The problem is that we consider whooping cough is a historical disease, which is no longer available due to universal vaccinations – emphasized Dr. Grażyna Cholewińska-Szymańska.

You may be interested in:

  1. Vaccination Calendar 2021
  2. A map of the “most resilient municipalities” is created. What is the reason?
  3. Vaccinations against COVID-19 in children 12+. Six important questions [EXPLAINED]

PAP / PAP / Katarzyna Lechowicz-Dyl

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