Last year they were held in Seville 183 Whooping cough infection. This respiratory infection spreads easily and can end up in the hospital, especially if it occurs in young children.
According to the health department, the increase in infections is due to the end of the preventive measures taken During the Covid-19 pandemic. They acknowledge that when masks are no longer mandatory, infections will increase.
In fact, in 2022, only 4 cases were reported in the whole of Andalusia. Only 2 available in 2021 –When measures become more stringent-. There were 24 infections in 2020 (the year the coronavirus pandemic began). In 2019, the number was 286, according to health data.
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almost of which In the province of Seville alone, Andalusia has increased from 300 to 183. The exponential growth worries doctors. This is pointed out by the Andalusian Association of Home and Community Care (Asanec).
extra doses of vaccine
Group defends need to give extra doses of whooping cough vaccine “Given the rebound in cases“They point out that this is happening throughout the community, not just in Seville.
They added that the infection affects people of all ages, not just adults.But despite this, young people and adults are served as transfer vector By having more social contacts throughout the day.
but, What is whooping cough? It is “a highly contagious disease” whose spread “occurs through close contact with an infected person through coughing or exposure to respiratory secretions.”
Whooping Cough Symptoms
As from ministry of health, whooping cough starts “like a cold.” Symptoms include nasal congestion, runny nose, sneezing, mild cough, or moderate fever.
After a week or 14 days, you start to notice that your cough is more severe. “Different from common cold“Whooping cough causes a severe, rapid cough that lasts for weeks,” they explain at the Department of Health. This is the most obvious symptom.
“These coughs can cause patient They add that one has to breathe harder, producing a “whistling” sound known as an “inspiratory cock.”
However, in babies, detection is more complicated without a doctor’s help because they don’t cough as frequently. sometimes, Probably almost non-existent.
They explained in Asanec that the greatest peaks in pertussis infection occur in winter and spring, when pertussis cold return.
serious for babies
Immunization manager AsanekEva Alman explains that whooping cough is “particularly severe in the first months of life.”
“Ninety percent of hospitalizations occur in Children under one year old, The proportion of children under three months of age is higher due to severe complications and even death,” he details.
Asanec said the pertussis epidemic has continued in Spain since 2010. Carlos III Institute, Since 2011, an average of 4,000 cases have been reported each year, peaking between 2014 and 2019.
national epidemiological center
Additionally, a report released by the National Epidemiology Center analyzed 2005 and 2020A total of 43,534 pertussis cases were reported and 10,281 were hospitalized (82.7% were children under three months old).
In addition to the vaccines they require organize Scientifically speaking, there are other ways to prevent infection. These precautions begin with protecting the baby.
Therefore, doctors point out that it is necessary to vaccinate a high proportion of adults, thus cutting off transmission. Additionally, “symptomatic people can be placed in respiratory isolation until they complete at least five days of treatment and, in some cases, those who live with them.”