In the past six months, two babies in Louisiana have died of pertussis, the disease commonly known as whooping cough.
Washington state recently announced its first confirmed death from pertussis in more than a decade.
Idaho and South Dakota each reported a death this year, and Oregon last year reported two as well as its highest number of cases since 1950.
While much of the country is focused on the spiraling measles outbreak concentrated in the small, dusty towns of West Texas, cases of pertussis have skyrocketed by more than 1,500% nationwide since hitting a recent low in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Deaths tied to the disease are also up, hitting 10 last year, compared with about two to four in previous years. Cases are on track to exceed that total this year.
Such a weird old timey thing to see. Like a billboard that says, “having trouble seeing at night? Try electricity! With electricity you can have a light in the dark!”
Pertussis
It is an interesting illness. In the sense that vaccines effectively defend the vaccinated person but don’t defend unvaccinated people around. Vaccinated people don’t get sick but still transport the bacteria in enough amounts to be dangerous for unvaccinated.
The good illness
More like the super dangerous one, because up until recently babies couldn’t be vaxxed for it. I remember when I was a kid and whooping cough was still around a bit. New moms were terrified their babies would get it and die.
I had it when I was about 3 years old. I almost died.
Ah, pertussis. I remember learning what my lungs taste like. Good times.
Ah yes, I had such good times as a kid when I came down with pertussis despite being vaccinated. Two weeks of coughing until I literally threw up, amongst others. Not something you want anybody to go through if it can be helped.
Sometimes I think nurgle is not just a cook but also a dj remixing the classics
