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Covid

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Original poster

Whooping cough!

34 replies

november90 · 04/04/2021 23:32

I suspect my 10 month baby has whooping cough. Both my sons have had a cold this past week but my youngest has developed a little, none continuous cough which is suspectingly started to sound absolutely identical to whooping cough. I'm gonna get him at the doctors in the morning, but just wanted to check if anyone knew what the process may be? I'm worried they will send us to a Covid surgery or something like that with it being regarding a cough?
Both my sons have their regular immunisations, but my eldest was still unlucky enough to get whooping cough when he was a baby too!

OP posts:

Original poster

november90 · 05/04/2021 02:49

Anyone ? :)

OP posts:

yellowmelon · 05/04/2021 03:03

I expect they'll want a negative covid test first. My GP has a sign up saying do not enter if you have a cough, high temperature or change of taste/smell.

HolmeH · 05/04/2021 07:07

GP’s will see patients with covid symptoms in my area in some cases, particularly babies. My DD had a high fever & was refusing to eat last month (11 months old). I had to go to the ‘red zone’ of the doctors where they see potentially COVID infected people! Was just one room with an external door & minimal furniture. It stank of disinfectant.

Can you record your sons cough? Then when you have the inevitable phone consultation first, you can play it for them? Whooping cough is quite easy to spot so the doc will then be able to make a call.. if they think it is whopping cough, I imagine they’ll then happily see you!

picklemewalnuts · 05/04/2021 07:22

It's more likely to be croup that whooping cough, if your older dc have colds.

Original poster

november90 · 05/04/2021 08:06

Thanks for the replies!
It's just the noise he's making with the cough that's making me thinking whooping as it's such a loud whoop and sounds just like the YouTube video!
He seems a bit better today though. Also realised my go is closed with it being bank hols :(

OP posts:

Racoonworld · 05/04/2021 08:33

You need to get your baby tested and whole household isolates until negative test result.

Daisydoor12 · 05/04/2021 08:34

I would have thought croup rather than whooping cough. What were you other children’s symptoms when you say they had a cold last week? Covid seems to present with different symptoms in children-more cold like.

kowari · 05/04/2021 08:39

I would want the whole family tested for whooping cough quickly. Even if it is too late for antibiotics to help your baby then they could help another family member.

TiggerTiggerBounce · 05/04/2021 08:41

How can it be whooping cough if it’s not a continuous cough? Is he really not having 3 coughing fits in 24 hours?

FishWithoutABike · 05/04/2021 08:44

Do people deliberately Miss understand what continuous means?
If you cough because some water goes down the wrong way, or because your allergic to cats fine. If you have a actual cough get a test.

QuarantineQueen · 05/04/2021 08:49

That is clearly a persistent cough then. Get your baby tested, isolate, and hopefully by the time your GP opens tomorrow you'll have the result.
I don't understand why people think the rules don't apply to babies!

troppibambini6 · 05/04/2021 08:51

Is the noise on the out breath or on the in breath? If it's as they breath out it's croup if it's on the in breath more likely to be whooping cough.

Original poster

november90 · 05/04/2021 10:05

I've rang 111 and going to see the gp now.
They didn't state at this point he needs a Covid test. Children had coughs before Covid and the reason why it's suspected whooping cough is because of the distinctive noise. If I'm told he needs a test then that's fine.

OP posts:

Dustyhedge · 05/04/2021 10:39

We’ve been into the gp for a non-covid fever. We had a negative test but still needed to go into the red zone. We were met in the car park and they saw my daughter individually.

My other child managed to get whooping cough. It is horrible and if your eldest has had it you won’t have forgotten the sound so I imagine they’ll listen to you more than if you hadn’t experienced it before.

Crappyfridays7 · 05/04/2021 10:51

Whooping cough can be quite serious, I’m sure the gp who advised op to come in is aware of this and the whooping cough/croup would need to be treated rather than waiting for a covid swab.

On my ward kids with respiratory symptoms such as this are isolated and nursed by one nurse in full ppe until a negative result comes back, that might have to wait until treatment for croup/whooping cough has kicked in and the child is better as swabs can cause issues. It’s quite unusual to see whooping cough now, when I first started training and working as nurse I saw it a lot. We also don’t test the whole family.

I hope your baby is ok and feeling better soon op

Original poster

november90 · 05/04/2021 11:16

He's been seen and they are treating him for whooping after hearing his cough. He also said his right lung is crackling so he's on antibiotics to treat whooping and chest infection!

Thanks for all those who gave advice and concern! Looking forward to him feeling better soon ❤️

To those judgey comments on this thread about Covid/getting a test. Do you not think that I had already considered whether this was suitable or am I stupid/neglectful enough to expose/not treat my BABY appropriately?! (Obviously not!). None of you know anything about his cough other then I was concerned about the noise so maybe you should read this thread and think about the concerned mother behind it instead of trying to shame me.
I posted on this page because I wondered the procedure when it came to taking him to the doctors with Covid.

Thanks and have a nice day!

OP posts:

kowari · 05/04/2021 11:21

@november90 So glad he's been seen and is being treated. Whooping cough in a baby or young child is absolutely not something that should wait for the results of a covid test first! DS had it at 9 years old and that was bad enough.

Dustyhedge · 05/04/2021 11:33

november90 Hope things are better soon. I remember it clearing up relatively quickly but the sound is just awful. It went right through me and was so distressing. Glad he was seen quickly.

NeverDropYourMoonCup · 05/04/2021 11:43

Did you not vaccinate him against Whooping Cough at the same time as Diptheria/Tetanus/Polio/HiB Meningitis/Hep B/Rotavirus/MenB/Pneumococcal Disease?

Poor little thing.

Original poster

november90 · 05/04/2021 11:47

Yes of course, he's up to date with all of his immunisations, as was my eldest but they both still caught it somehow x my eldest was in Hospital with it so I'm hoping this has been caught early enough!

Thanks again ❤️

OP posts:

SheeshazAZ09 · 05/04/2021 11:53

Cases of whooping cough in vaccinated individuals are common, including now in adults. I was vaccinated as a kid like everyone else but still got it as an adult. It’s a nasty disease and I hope your son gets better soon.

HolmeH · 05/04/2021 12:06

So glad you got seen OP & I hope he’s on the mend soon! ❤️

Coughs existed before COVID. People are so judgemental 🙄 My 3 year is hacking away at the mo. Repeat negative tests. Finally got the GP to see her after she was sobbing it hurt to breathe & really nasty infection 😣

Original poster

november90 · 05/04/2021 20:07

Thank you so much both. He did seem a bit better this evening which was so lovely to see 🤗

OP posts:

OverTheRainbow88 · 05/04/2021 20:11

I’m glad you’ve got him seen and ignored all the totally stupid advice to just isolate and get him tested for covid.

rhowton · 05/04/2021 20:13

Whooping Cough is rare. We were turned away 3 times before being taken seriously and Health England called us.

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