close
close

Apre-salomemanzo

Breaking: Beyond Headlines!

    • Worcester area sees increase in cases of walking pneumonia and whooping cough
    aecifo

    Worcester area sees increase in cases of walking pneumonia and whooping cough

    Umito Posted on

    WORCESTER ― Medical experts stress that members of the public need to be up to date on their vaccines as Massachusetts, including the Worcester area, sees a significant increase in two respiratory illnesses.

    One of them is whooping cough, also called whooping cough, and the Massachusetts Department of Public Health is reporting a five-fold increase in the number of confirmed cases statewide, with 754 so far this year, up from 115 during the same period last year.

    Infections typically affect adolescents and young adults, according to the state agency. He said vaccines continue to offer the best protection against complications.

    UMass Memorial Medical Center is reporting six cases of whooping cough and one case of parapertussis since June 1.

    The other respiratory infection specialists are keeping a close eye on is atypical (walking) pneumonia. Dr. Michael Hirsh, Worcester’s medical director and chief pediatric surgeon at UMass Memorial Health, said Dr. Jean-Marc Gauguet, a diagnostic radiologist at UMass Memorial, told him that X-rays showed that many children suffered from walking pneumonia.

    It is a mild lung infection that usually does not require bed rest or a hospital stay, as regular pneumonia often does.

    Typically, UMass sees one or two patients per month with walking pneumonia, according to Hirsh. However, the numbers have recently climbed to two dozen per week, based on what Hirsh said about Gauguet’s findings.

    Walking pneumonia cases are not reported to the state health department. The department said it is aware of an increase in cases as it monitors emergency departments and outpatient visits. School-age children and young adults are affected.

    Walking pneumonia is usually attributed to mycoplasma bacteria, and Hirsh said it does not respond to the penicillin family of antibiotics. Instead, the antibiotic azithromycin, also known as Z-Pak, is prescribed.

    Last week, the state DPH issued an alert saying it was closely monitoring the bacteria that causes walking pneumonia. In recent weeks, doctors have reported higher than usual numbers of pneumonia cases, particularly among children and young adults, the agency said.

    Whooping cough: “severe cough”

    What makes whooping cough different is a “fairly heavy cough” that sends droplets into the air that could become very contagious, Hirsh said.

    The severity of the cough could lead to fatigue and difficulty breathing deeply, Hirsh said. Some coughing fits can become so severe that they cause rib fractures.

    The Tdap tetanus, diphtheria, and pertussis vaccine is given during the first years of life to eradicate whooping cough. Worcester Public Schools requires the vaccine for all new students, Hirsh said.

    Last week’s state alert said whooping cough cases had declined sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, but were increasing to pre-pandemic levels, particularly among adolescents.

    “It is important to note that whooping cough is vaccine preventable. Everyone should be up to date with their whooping cough vaccine to prevent the disease,” said Dr. Robert Goldstein, commissioner of the US Department of Health. State.

    Hirsh suspects the pandemic has disrupted normal vaccination routines, as some parents have kept their children home and away from doctor’s offices to limit the risk of contracting COVID-19.

    “So I think the number of patients up to date with the Tdap vaccine is lower, and that could be contributing more to whooping cough,” he said.

    Low levels: COVID-19, flu, RSV

    The state alert says COVID-19, influenza and RSV are at low levels. However, infections could increase in winter as people spend more time indoors. To combat this risk, the agency stressed the importance of getting vaccinated.

    “We are amplifying the message that getting vaccinated today will benefit you, your family, your friends and your community in the future,” Goldstein said. “Flu, COVID-19 and RSV can spread quickly this time of year as people gather indoors more often and vaccines greatly reduce the risk of getting seriously ill or being hospitalized due to respiratory illness.”

    Hirsh fears the new Trump administration will spread mistrust of vaccines. He sees a potential scenario in which federal policy could make them optional. If that happens, Hirsh believes a large portion of the population could opt out, making it difficult to achieve herd immunity aimed at protecting communities from disease.

    “If this happens, we will see the return of many diseases that were thought to be eradicated,” Hirsh said. “We would once again be spending tons of medical resources on symptoms that could have been eradicated by adhering to vaccination policy.”

    Contact Henry Schwan at [email protected]. Follow him on X: @henrytelegram.

    Umito
    View all posts

    You Might Also Like