Warns when whooping cough increases: “They should avoid crowds”

The number of Swedes who contract whooping cough is increasing sharply.
Which is worrying – because it can be life-threatening for young children.
– Children under six months, but especially children under three months, are at risk of getting really sick from whooping cough and even dying, says doctor Marcus Olausson in Nyhetsmorgon.

After decreasing sharply during the pandemic, the number of cases of whooping cough is now increasing again.

– During the seven and a half years I have worked as a doctor, I have seen one case of whooping cough until last week, when I saw the next two. This is something that is really on the rise right now.

During the last week, there were just over a thousand cases in Sweden, of which 10 percent were infants, says doctor Marcus Olausson.

– During the covid years 2020 to 2023, we simply did not have whooping cough that flourished in society, then more individuals become susceptible to being infected later.

Those who are at risk of becoming seriously ill are children under six months of age, and there have been deaths in Sweden and Europe this year.

– Children under 6 months should not meet with a cold right now, or crowds, because now there is so much going on. And it will increase when we return to school and work.

Then you should seek emergency care

Adults should seek care if the cough has not improved after three weeks, but if you are pregnant after week 27, you should seek care immediately, says Marcus Olausson. The same applies if you have a child under the age of one.

For the smallest children, whooping cough often starts as a common cold with fever and runny nose. After a week or so, they get massive coughing fits and a gasp when they suck in air, due to shortness of breath. In that case, urgent care should be sought.

– Before we started vaccinating pregnant women, seven out of ten were hospitalized. It is a disease that you should have great respect for if you have children under one year old.

In the last two years, pregnant women have started to be vaccinated to give children under three months protection against whooping cough. At the age of three months, most children are vaccinated against whooping cough.

– The pregnancy vaccine we have introduced provides excellent protection, but more people have to take it. It used to cost money, but now it’s free.