Amal Allam wrote Saturday, January 6, 2024 04:55 PM
Fox News revealed that whooping cough may be too dangerous for young children to be vaccinated, which is why we are alerting medical providers and the public alike that this disease is spreading rapidly, especially in the United States of America and a number of countries around the world.
What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough is a highly contagious infection that affects the respiratory system. It gets its most common name “whooping cough” after the severe cough that some people get. While the vaccine provides protection against severe illness for children, infants who are too young to get the vaccine They are most at risk, according to the Mayo Clinic.
The Mayo Clinic notes that symptoms get worse over time, often leading to severe, uncontrollable coughing spells that end in a “whooping” sound after the patient breathes in due to mucus buildup in the airways.
Who is most at risk?
Infants are most at risk of serious illness and life-threatening complications from whooping cough, including respiratory failure, pneumonia, seizures, or, in rare cases, death.
Katie Dubinsky, a pharmacist in New York, said that pregnant women, individuals with weakened immune systems, and the elderly are also more susceptible to severe symptoms.
Of the 108 cases reported so far on Long Island, New York, the “vast majority” are children who attend local school districts and their parents. The condition becomes serious when it leads to severe coughing fits that cause difficulty breathing, vomiting, or Interruption of normal breathing patterns in infants.
There are about 24 million cases of whooping cough worldwide each year, and 50,000 in the United States, according to Dr. Mark Siegel, a clinical professor of medicine at New York University’s Langone Medical Center and a Fox News medical contributor.
CDC comments on pneumonia outbreak today vs. Early coronavirus cases, as compared by experts.
Whooping cough treatment..
The primary treatment for whooping cough is antibiotics, which are most effective when given early. Azithromycin is the common treatment for children while doxycycline is prescribed for adults.
“It is also important to relieve symptoms, especially in severe cases,” Dubinsky added. “This may include hospitalization of infants or those with severe symptoms to monitor and treat complications.”
What causes an outbreak?
The conditions Whooping cough It decreased during the pandemic, and is now “increasing even more because our immune systems are exposed to viruses and bacteria that we have not seen before, and they are slower to respond.”
One expert stressed that because of the potential risk in young infants and those with weakened immune systems, it is important to seek medical care if whooping cough is suspected.
Dubinsky noted that whooping cough outbreaks usually occur when there are population groups that have not been vaccinated.
“Whooping cough is highly contagious, and immunity from vaccine or previous infection wanes over time, which may also contribute to outbreaks,” she said.
2024-01-06 14:55:00
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