Coughing so hard it leads to death... a 105-fold increase in this disease in one year

Whooping cough patients causing paroxysmal cough have increased 105 times compared to the same period last year. Adults experience prolonged severe coughing, but infants have a high mortality rate, so timely vaccination is necessary.

According to the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency on the 8th, the number of whooping cough patients this year reached 1,365 (including suspected cases) as of the 1st, showing a sharp increase that surpasses the annual total of 980 cases in 2018, which was the recent peak. The current figure is 6.7 times higher than the 203 cases during the same period in 2018, and 105 times higher than the 13 cases in the same period last year.

Whooping cough is an acute respiratory disease caused by infection with Bordetella pertussis. Symptoms such as runny nose, tears, and cough appear for 1 to 2 weeks and then progress to paroxysmal coughing. If you get this disease, you may cough for nearly 100 days, which is why it is called "whooping cough."

By age group, 13-19 years accounted for 49.6% (677 people), and 7-12 years accounted for 37.5% (512 people), with children and adolescents aged 7-19 making up 87.1% (1,189 people) of the total. Regionally, the highest numbers were reported in Gyeongnam (543 people, 39.8%), Gyeonggi (143 people, 17.4%), Busan (109 people, 8.0%), and Gyeongbuk (90 people, 6.6%), among others.

South Korea has a high pertussis vaccination rate, with 97.3% for 1-year-olds and 96.8% for elementary school entrants. There are only four cases of infection in high-risk groups under one year old, which can progress to severe illness, and no deaths have been reported in the past ten years. However, if the number of cases continues to increase, it could lead to complications or loss of life, so caution is necessary.

[Photo source: Provided by the Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency]

Especially this year, whooping cough is spreading globally. In the United States, as of the 25th of last month, 4,864 cases have been reported, which is about 2.8 times higher than the same period last year (1,746 cases). In the Philippines, as of April 27th, 2,521 cases have been reported, with 96 deaths. In China, by April, 91,272 people have been infected with whooping cough, a 3.4-fold increase compared to March (27,078 cases). This year, 20 people have died from whooping cough in China.

If you have not yet received the vaccine or have not completed the basic 6 doses, it is recommended to complete the vaccination. Infants under 1 year old can receive three primary doses at 2 months, 4 months, and 6 months of age, and subsequent three additional doses can be supported by the national immunization program at 15-18 months, 4-6 years, and 11-12 years of age.

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency recommends that pregnant women who have never received a vaccine in the past should be vaccinated between 27 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. Grandparents caring for infants under one year old should also receive the pertussis vaccine at least two weeks before contact with the child.

The government is closely monitoring the situation of whooping cough outbreaks and, together with Gyeongnam Province, which has the highest number of cases, is reportedly considering temporary vaccinations for healthcare workers and others who may transmit whooping cough to pregnant women and infants under one year old.