Whooping cough, also called whooping cough, is one of the most contagious infectious diseases. However, we often disregard it, especially as its symptoms are easily confused with other diseases - including COVID-19. So how do you distinguish whooping cough from COVID-19? What are the characteristic symptoms of both diseases?

Whooping coughis an acute bacterial disease of the respiratory tract. It is caused by gram-negative rodsBordetella pertussis , which are transmitted via the droplet route. The so-called the rate of susceptibility to infection is very high - as much as 90 percent. which means that as many as 90 out of 100 people who have had contact with a person suffering from whooping cough and are not immune to infection (e.g. thanks to vaccination against pertussis) will get sick.

According to the World He alth Organization, 400,000 people die from whooping cough every year. people, and about 40 million are ill. In Poland, about 2,000 are registered every year. cases of whooping cough, although doctors suspect there are more, as many may go unreported.

Whooping cough may be confused with COVID-19 during the pandemic, as the diseases share similar symptoms. However, there are also fundamental differences between them. So how do you distinguish whooping cough from COVID-19? For this purpose, it is worth comparing the symptoms of whooping cough with the symptoms of COVID-19.

Whooping cough and COVID-19: similarities

The main feature that makes both infections similar is coughing. As the national consultant in the field of epidemiology, Prof. Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz from the National Institute of Public He alth - PZH in Warsaw: “A cough in whooping cough can be very strong, troublesome and last for at least two weeks. The pathogen that causes whooping cough produces toxins, the most potent of which is called pertussis. pertussis toxin.

It causes necrosis of the respiratory epithelium, and consequently the secretion and accumulation of thick mucus, which causes coughing and the occurrence of breathing difficulties with the characteristic 'foam'. Recurrent, severe and severe cough is typical of children, and in adults it is chronic and tiresome, so there is a greater risk of being overlooked or mistaken in differentiating its causes, ”explains a national epidemiology consultant.

Whooping cough and COVID-19 - differences

Whooping cough is a bacterial disease,COVID-19 is a viral infection. As explained by prof. Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz: "As for the SARS-CoV-2 virus, cough may also be a harbinger of the symptom, it may persist and worsen, but it may also cause shortness of breath. Moreover, in the case of coronavirus infection, in most cases there is a fever that is absent in case of whooping cough "

Whooping cough and COVID-19 - diagnosis

The diagnosis of whooping cough is based on a medical history - the doctor will ask about the symptoms of the disease and vaccinations against whooping cough (if they are up-to-date, the symptoms indicate a different disease). As explained by prof. Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz, a physician's trained ear, can recognize whooping cough by the typical nature of cough in young children.

In adults, it may be more difficult and requires additional research, because there may be many causes of chronic cough, e.g. smoking. However, to assess whether the cough is caused by whooping cough or a symptom of COVID-19, it is worth doing one more test.

"A positive PCR test result helps in making the final diagnosis, made from a swab taken from the patient through the nostrils from the back of the pharynx, as pertussis sticks exist between the nasal cavity and the pharynx. Other methods can also be used, such as growing pertussis bacilli on a specific medium, or testing the level of antibodies in the blood "- says prof. Iwona Paradowska-Stankiewicz.

Category:

Infectious diseases