Whooping cough cases approach near record numbers

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) -- Holiday cheer is in the air, and so are infections. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, whooping cough cases in the United States are beginning to return to pre-pandemic levels.

According to Dr. Jason Newland, chief of infectious diseases at Nationwide Children's Hospital, there are over 32,000 recorded cases this year alone in the U.S., which is six times greater than last year.

The most up-to-date data from the CDC, which was released in early November, showed Pennsylvania and New York had reported the most cases of whooping cough at more than 2,000 each. Ohio, Wisconsin, Washington, and California all have more than 1,000 cases reported so far.

Dr. Newland said whooping cough, sometimes referred to as pertussis, often presents similar symptoms as the common cold. This can include fever, runny nose, and eventually an aggressive cough. 

"The difference is the cough can come in paroxysms, but the better word for it is just a lot at one time, to where we hear that we say 'whoop' because you cough, cough, cough, cough, cough and then you go whoop because you've got to breathe," he said.

Dr. Newland said the whooping cough vaccine is the best way to prevent the infection, starting at two months old. 

"And then because the vaccine is not perfect, meaning it doesn't provide me protection the rest of my life, you really need to get it every ten years," Dr. Newland said. He noted, however, that fewer people are getting vaccinated.

Experts believe the 2024 surge in cases may be in part because of missed vaccinations during the COVID-19 pandemic. Widespread masking in 2020 and 2021 also helped prevent spreading of the bacteria that causes pertussis. Now, the disease is back with a vengeance, and we’re seeing more cases than we did in 2019.

"You and I, we get pertussis, we're going to cough, and we're going to cough a lot, and we might cough 100 days, and we might cough so much we break a rib, or we cough so much that we want to vomit, all terrible things, which is why I want my vaccine," Dr. Newland said. The linger cough associated with pertussis has also earned it another name: the 100-day cough.

Infants are the most susceptible to catching the illness.

"They can come to the hospital not breathing," Dr. Newland said. "They can have neurologic conditions making them seize and they can die."

If you have any other holiday gatherings this year, he recommends taking proper precautions.

"You can always wear a mask to prevent things like pertussis, things like RSV, things like influenza," Dr. Newland said. "Influenza's rip-roaring right now."

He advised those seeking to shield themselves from pertussis to wash their hands frequently, and maintain distance from those who are infected.

"We learned these things during the pandemic. We can keep doing that to protect us against pertussis and all of these respiratory illnesses."

The treatment for whooping cough is simple, with many people able to recover with the help of antibiotics. Experts are, however, concerned about the illness because it's an airborne disease, making it highly contagious.

"If we all get vaccinated [before we are] going to be around the youngest and most vulnerable, we help protect them even more," Dr. Newland said. "So, having 30,000 cases is scary because you know there's some infants in that and you're putting others at risk."

Nexstar's Alix Martichoux contributed to this report.