United States – Since 2014, whooping cough cases have escalated to record levels, four times higher than last year, as indicated by data acquired from the CDC, as reported by The Hills.
Over 16,000 people have been infected this year, and 2 confirmed deaths, as statistics show. According to records, the number of cases reported across the country in 2023 was over 3,700.
Rising Incidence of Whooping Cough
“The number of reported whooping cough cases this year is higher than what was seen at this time last year,” the CDC wrote on their website. “The United States is beginning to return to pre-pandemic patterns where more than 10,000 cases are typically reported each year.”
Infants Under One Year at Greatest Risk
Therefore, babies who are less than one year old are at more risk of getting the infection and complications, as postulated by the center. The agency also observed that one out of every three babies in that age bracket who contract whooping cough require treatment for this disease in a hospital.
The most frequent ones are Apnea and Pneumonia for most of the children with SMA.
Experts Link Increase to Pandemic-Related Factors
Hill said earlier that specialists tend to attribute the rise in incidence to postponed vaccinations during the COVID-19 period, wearing masks, and other restrictive measures that decrease viral spread, as reported by The Hills.
Regional Hotspots Identified
Data revealed that there were 289 cases in total for the week ending Sept. 28.
The West Coast and the Middle Atlantic region, which includes New Jersey, New York, New York City, and Pennsylvania, seem to record the highest incidences reported this year, according to the statistical analysis.