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Jeremy Clarkson’s whooping cough (pertussis) concerns have been addressed by a doctor who insists there is no need to worry about an outbreak in the UK, despite a rise cases. In his recent column with The Sun, the Clarkson’s Farm star revealed he hasn’t had the best start to the year after suffering from what he believes is whooping cough.
He shared that symptoms, such as a runny nose and a persistent cough, had been ongoing since mid-December and he was yet to get better. The presenter wrote: “I cough myself to sleep at night, my nose is like a tap, and every morning I produce about a pint of phlegm. I’ve tried everything. Pills. Lemsip. Sitting in front of a roaring fire watching Slow Horses.
“It seems I’m not alone. Doctors are saying that, across the country, thousands of others are suffering too from what’s become known as ‘the 100 day cough’ or as it used to be called ‘whooping cough’,” he added, admitting he believed the infection had died out several years ago.
Although not feeling his best, Jeremy went on to say he had managed to get up and work and questioned whether it could just be a bad cold. Concerned for others, however, the presenter highlighted that according to data, nearly 300,000 people, mostly children, die every year worldwide from the infection.
He added: “The death rate in poorer-income areas can be as high as four per cent. With babies, things are even worse. And what fascinates me is that no one is paying much attention to the outbreak here.”
According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA), there were 716 suspected cases of whooping cough in England and Wales from early July to the end of November last year, compared with 217 in the same period in 2022, however, it is unclear which ages they were.
Now, Dr Natalia Bogatcheva, GP at The London General Practice, has given Express.co.uk an insight into the apparent rise of the infection. On behalf of Casinos.win, she said: “Whooping cough (pertussis) is a notifiable disease in the UK. There is no current recorded outbreak of pertussis in the UK.
“Although the UKHSA reported an increased number of suspected cases that currently stands at around 1200 mark, however the number of true laboratory-confirmed cases remains much lower than that.
“The number remains the lowest since the pre-pandemic years. The last recorded outbreak was in 2012, and this is when a Nationwide vaccination programme for pregnant women was rolled out.”
She went on to say: “One of the reasons that there may be a perceived lack of public awareness is that the infection rate remains below a certain threshold in order for the Public health authorities to act with or a wider-coverage vaccination programme, thus only limiting it to vulnerable groups.”
The doctor also stressed that whole adults may suffer from bad symptoms, it is “not a fatal illness” and that the vast majority “recover with no ongoing issues” unlike in more vulnerable groups such as babies and children, who could suffer from further health complications and potential deaths.
In vulnerable adults, it could also cause “recurrent respiratory infections, breathing difficulties” as well as “complications arising from fractured ribs following severe coughing fits”.
Whooping cough is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes, which can spread very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems.
The first symptoms are similar to those of a cold, such as a runny nose, red and watery eyes, a sore throat, and a slightly raised temperature.
The NHS states it’s important for babies and children in particular to get vaccinated against it.
Dr Bogatcheva added of the infection: “A person stops being contagious around two weeks after the cough begins.
“Some people have a mild version of the disease, and not everybody will have bad symptoms and a violent cough.”
If concerned, visit your GP for advice.
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Source: NewsFinale
