By MICHAEL CRIMMINS
Glasgow News 1
T.J. Regional Health has not seen cases of whooping cough despite the rising number of cases in the United States.
T.J. Regional Health’s Executive Vice President of Marketing, Planning, and Development Stacey Biggs said at the end of 2024, the hospital system is seeing lots of Respiratory Syncytial Virus, COVID and Pneumonia cases but no cases of the contagious respiratory tract bacterial infection.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 432 cases in 2024 compared to 114 reported in 2023 as the U.S. “return[s] to more typical trends” after the pandemic with roughly 10,000 cases typically reported each year. In 2024 the number of cases in the entire U.S. was 32,085 to 2023’s total of 6,479.
“It’s likely mitigation measures used during the pandemic (e.g., masking, remote learning) lowered transmission of pertussis,” the CDC stated. “In 2024, reported cases of pertussis increased across the United States, indicating a return to more typical trends. Preliminary data show that more than six times as many cases have been reported as of week 50 reported on December 14, 2024, compared to the same time in 2023. The number of reported cases this year is higher than what was seen at the same time in 2019, prior to the pandemic.”
Vaccinations are the best way to prevent whooping cough, also known as pertussis, however the CDC expects cases to increase in both populations as the U.S. returns to a typical infection pattern since protection fades over time.
Symptoms are similar to the common cold, but a painful body cough can develop that can last for weeks or months. Whooping cough can be serious for all ages, but children younger than one are particularly sensitive.
