This awful cough that half the country seem to have

[NorthernGirlie]

I've had mine on and off since early December. It's horrendous, often makes me throw up and I'm wrecked from ot sleeping

Went to the doctors after having it for 3 weeks - told to ride it out. Went back last week and I'm booked for a chest x-ray, bloods (run down to hell, feel like I can't fight it off) and an inhaler

Friend 1: same symptoms as me, had it since early Feb. Spit test and that's it. Ride it out

Friend 2; spit test (negative) chest x-ray and 5 days of antibiotics for possible whooping cough

Friend 3: inhaler and chest x-ray

Friend 4: 7 days antibiotics for possible whooping cough / possible pneumonia

Friend 5: hospitalised for 2 days with pneumonia

What's with it all? Hangover from covid? Why so many different approaches to treatment? Any miracle cures?

By-product or after-effect of prior Covid infection?

"Even relatively easy bouts with COVID-19 can still take a toll on the immune system, according to a paper published Mar. 15 in the journal Immunity—particularly on T-cells, which provide long term and durable protection against viruses."

Getting COVID-19 Could Weaken Your Immune System | TIME

Have colleagues coughing everywhere since Christmas. Unsure if they are reinfecting each other as they sit together with windows shut or whether it is a long term sickness. Cough sounds deep and painful though!

Yes me too.. half my family. Teenagers..onto 8th week now.
Tight painful chest.
Phlegm. Being sick when coughing.
Ribs hurting .
Tired all the time . Extreme thirst.
Chest x Ray clear.
Antibiotics don't work.
Steroids don't work.
I'm 100% sure it's related to covid and we are going to see more of these contagious virus's.

I have this too, it's absolutely horrendous. Also a horrifically sore throat. I went to the doctors yesterday but they said it's viral and there's nothing they can do. So sad to think it may not get better for weeks/months!!

@PutOnYourRedShoesAndLetsDance I also wonder if it might be related to the impact of previous Covid infection on immunity.

Did you have Covid OP? How ill were you? Did the friends you describe have Covid or not?

my husband has been like this for weeks,GP says viral, go home drink plenty.I am getting more concerned as time goes on.Nothing is settling it or shifting it,

I had Covid twice - both times very mild. Same as my friends- we've all been vaccinated

My Mum ended up in hospital over night last night as she's coughing so violently it's making her panic that she can't breathe 😢

I wonder if a lot of this is whooping cough? I had whooping cough as an adult (despite vaccination). My then newborn had it too and she was in hospital for 5 days and they confirmed it there. Would never have known it was whooping cough if it was just me that had it. It is a horrendous cough, but it does ease gradually.

Another vote for whooping cough. It's far more common than people think.

Even prior to covid, it was difficult to get a whooping cough diagnosis, especially on someone who had had a vaccination for it (many doctors do not understand that vaccination protection fades), and even the most accurate tests (culture, not PCR) can fail to pick up whooping cough after two or three weeks of coughing (although they usually do pick it up).

Unfortunately, by the time people seek help, it's generally too late for antibiotics to help - they are effective within the first 3 weeks, and much less so after that.

Persistent cough is a long covid symptom, so I expect that accounts for a lot of it.

Whooping cough is another possibility - it's been a while since we had a bad year, so we're probably due one; plus the effects of covid on the immune system mean some people will be catching it that bit more readily (plus vaccination rates are below target, which also makes it a bit easier to circulate)

But if you have ever been a smoker and your cough has lasted longer than 3 weeks or so, then you need to see your GP just in case

Does whooping cough cause a horrific sore throat? That's bothering me more than the cough itself.

@NorthernGirlie Hope your mum feels better today!

Yup, DS has had a cough for a good month now. He has a couple of days of being run down in the middle and stayed home but has been fine other than that.

DH now has it and has had for a few weeks, he's quite chesty with it so will be approaching docs on Monday.

DD had COVID about 6 wks ago and was actually a bit poorly with it, she wasn't at all the first 2 times she had it

I had this in November. So so ill..had a horrific cough, soaring temperature, literally couldn't get out of bed, had the paramedics out at one point as had rigors due to high temperature. Felt awful. Then got a horrible rash due to temperature. Just the weirdest thing. Took about a month to feel better.

Whooping cough is a virus. Antibiotics would never help regardless if time unless it's developed into a bacterial chest infection.

There is a lot of mycoplasma around this year. Very nasty

Both my kids have had it. Eldest had it far worse and is five weeks on and still having bouts of coughing randomly (but not as often). Neither were poorly apart from the cough and both felt totally fine.

After about 4 weeks eldest started with the whooping sound and said she felt like her throat was closing after each coughing fit. Otherwise was fine.

Her friend also had it and despite 3 rounds of antibiotics the friend had, she didn't get better any quicker.

I'd def say it's a lot of whooping cough this year.

Whooping cough is a virus

It's a bacterial infection (www.nhs.uk/conditions/whooping-cough/).

DH (fit, sporty, never smoked, 40s) had a horrific wheeze, temperature, no appetite, sweating, shaking, coughing up brown stuff and then green, couldn't stay awake more than a couple of hours for about 9 days, and then another week still coughing and wiped out. Had antibiotics and an inhaler (never needed one before). Tested negative for Covid and felt far worse than the 3 times he's tested positive for Covid.

My poor dd (15) has it. Usually very sporty, hasn't done any of her usual stuff for weeks, and missed 8 days school since half term. She's shattered, poor girl.

My husband is at the hospital as I type. Cough started a few weeks back, didn't get better. Doctor at the walk-in clinic today said he had low levels of oxygen in his blood and it could pneumonia. He's waiting for blood tests to be done before he knows whether it's that or just a viral infection. Let's see.

I see that Japan is reporting a massive surge in strep cases. Is it spreading?

DS had whooping cough. He’s had antibiotics but he’s still vomiting every time he coughs more than a week after finishing them. Apparently he just has to ride out the cough.

Hacking away here - it feels like it’s been going on for months between one thing or another! I had a phone GP appointment and am booked to be seen in person to get my chest checked but the first one is the end of April.

Dd2 coughing badly and I’ve got pleurisy. I’m ready for spring!

I’ve had whooping cough! Sounds just as you are describing. Doctors need to be more virulent as it’s a notifiable disease. Mine was fairly rapid at helping and had antibiotics which really helped drop the number of coughing fits I was having. 3 months on and I still cough if I laugh and when I eat etc it’s been horrible.