Health
Whooping cough cases up more than 340% over this time last year
Whooping cough (pertussis) infections continue to rise in the U.S., with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimating more than 17,600 cases as of Oct. 5.
That’s more than a 340% increase over the 3,962 cases reported last October.
Pre-pandemic, cases would typically exceed 10,000 per year, spiking to 18,600 in 2019.
Post-pandemic, whooping cough diagnoses plummeted, with just 2,100 cases reported in 2021.
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The 10 states with the highest number of cumulative (year to date) cases include Pennsylvania (2,209), New York (1,228), Illinois (1,153), California (1,123), Wisconsin (903), Washington (844), Ohio (814), Texas (676), Oregon (546), Arizona (491).
Whooping cough (pertussis) infections continue to rise in the U.S., with the CDC estimating more than 17,600 cases as of Oct. 5. (iStock)
What’s causing the uptick?
One theory for the spike is that cases fell sharply during the COVID-19 pandemic, as mask-wearing, social distancing and other infection protocols helped to protect against whooping cough.
“They are increasing more now as our immune systems are exposed to viruses and bacteria we haven’t seen and are slower to respond,” Dr. Marc Siegel, senior medical analyst for Fox News and clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone Medical Center, previously told Fox News Digital.
WITH WHOOPING COUGH CASES ON THE RISE, DO YOU NEED A BOOSTER VACCINE?
Whooping cough outbreaks typically occur when there are populations with low vaccination rates, Katy Dubinsky, a New York pharmacist and the CEO and co-founder of Vitalize, a private supplement company, previously told Fox News Digital.
The DTaP vaccine protects against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis infections in children. (iStock)
“Pertussis is highly contagious, and in areas where herd immunity is not strong due to insufficient vaccination, the disease can spread more easily,” she told Fox News Digital.
“Additionally, the immunity from the vaccine or previous infection wanes over time, which can also contribute to outbreaks.”
What is whooping cough?
A highly contagious respiratory tract infection, pertussis gets its more common name, “whooping cough,” from the severe hacking cough that some people develop.
In addition to the cough, initial symptoms mimic those of a cold — including nasal congestion, runny nose, fever, and red, watery eyes, according to Mayo Clinic.
While the vaccine offers protection against severe illness for children, infants who are too young for vaccination are at the highest risk. (iStock | National Institutes of Health)
Symptoms get worse over time, often leading to severe and uncontrollable coughing fits, which end with a “whooping” sound after the patient breathes in due to a buildup of mucus in the airways, the same source noted.
“This is an underappreciated problem, and a good reason why I am giving out Tdap vaccines to my adult patients regularly,” Siegel told Fox News Digital on Friday.
“This disease is especially problematic in young children, because they have less developed airways.”
Tdap is a combination of three vaccines that protect against tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis infections in teens and adults.
The DTaP vaccine is the same trio of vaccines administered to children.
“Pertussis is highly contagious, and in areas where herd immunity is not strong due to insufficient vaccination, the disease can spread more easily,” a doctor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“The vaccine works — and it lasts three to five years,” Siegel said. “Everyone should have an up-to-date vaccine.”
While the vaccine offers protection against severe illness for children, infants who are too young for vaccination are at the highest risk.
“This disease is especially problematic in young children, because they have less developed airways,” Siegel cautioned.
It is recommended that pregnant women get the Tdap vaccine during each pregnancy, as it helps protect the newborn until they can receive their own vaccinations.
When to seek medical attention
Due to the potential severity in young infants and those with weakened immune systems, it’s important to seek medical attention if pertussis is suspected, experts advise.
In addition to the cough, initial symptoms mimic those of a cold — including nasal congestion, runny nose, fever, and red, watery eyes. (iStock)
“Unfortunately, the diagnosis is often missed because the dry cough may be mistaken for a virus,” Siegel said.
Adults can be treated with doxycycline, a type of antibiotic that prevents the growth and spread of bacteria.
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Azithromycin is the common treatment for children, according to Siegel.
“The condition becomes dangerous when it leads to severe coughing spells that cause difficulty breathing, vomiting or interrupting normal breathing patterns in infants,” said Dubinsky.
“The diagnosis is often missed because the dry cough may be mistaken for a virus.”
In addition to giving antibiotics, it’s important to manage symptoms, especially in severe cases, she said.
“This might include hospitalization for infants or those with severe symptoms to monitor and treat complications.”
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Approximately 160,000 children under the age of 5 die globally of pertussis each year, and there are 24 million cases annually, per CDC data.
Health
Katie Couric couldn’t remember the year or the president during frightening brain episode
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
Health
One walking habit could signal a healthier brain after 80, scientists say
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
Health
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