Wash your hands often, cover your coughs and sneezes, and don’t share drinking cups and other utensils.
Those are several simple tips for your young child as they go to school and enjoy time on the playground with friends. But it is not just the common cold that you should be worried about this flu season.
Whooping cough cases are rising quickly across the country. Hovering around 15,000 cases, infection numbers are already the highest they’ve been in a decade. Numbers fell significantly during the pandemic when social interactions were stunted by COVID-19. Through September, this year’s total is nearly 10,000 more than this same time last year.
Pennsylvania, New York, and California are the top three states with the greatest number of cases.
Whooping cough starts with symptoms that appear much like the everyday cold. We’re talking about a runny nose, sneezing, a low-grade fever, and a cough. A week or two later, the infection moves into a violent full-body cough so severe that patients vomit and sometimes break ribs. Antibiotics can treat the infection if caught early. But once the cough starts, the only treatment is rest and fluids.
Young children typically have received five doses of a vaccine against pertussis by the time they’re 6 years old. Thus, unvaccinated babies and adults are those at highest risk. Some experts attribute the uptick in cases to a dip in vaccination rates during the height of the pandemic.
Bottom line: It’s important to maintain healthy hygiene practices and consider seeing a doctor for antibiotics if you or your little one is experiencing symptoms.