Do you have whooping cough, FLiRT Covid strains or hay fever? Key clues to watch for
WHEN we feel a little cough brewing, most of us jump to the assumption that we have a cold.
But what is the likelihood it’s hay fever, or Covid, or even whooping cough?
With the UK facing a whooping cough outbreak, new Covid strains circulating and pollen levels set to rise over the coming days, your tickly throat could be caused by any of the above options.
Paul Hunter, a professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, previously warned that we might be on the cusp the worst whooping cough epidemic in four decades.
“It used to be much more common in the last century up until the vaccine was introduced,” he said.
“However, this current year looks like we may see more cases than we have seen in any of the last 40 years.”
As for Covid, cases have risen again since the new highly contagious FLiRT variants started to spread rapidly throughout Britain.
The Met Office has warned pollen levels are set to rise in the South of England on the weekend, as temperatures are expected to reach 20C in places.
Although some symptoms of whooping cough, Covid and hay fever overlap, there are some critical differences in how each condition manifests.
Here is how to work out what is actually behind that pesky cough.
Is it whooping cough?
As the UK is in the grips of a whooping cough outbreak, there is a possibility you could be carrying the disease.
The bug, known as pertussis, is a fast-spreading bacterial infection of the lungs.
Dr Simon Theobalds, a GP from Manchester, said: “Most viral infections [like whooping cough] last one to two weeks, but for some people it may be longer.
“There are various reasons for this, including the different levels of immunity against infections.”
According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the notoriously long illness progresses through three stages.
The symptoms usually start five to 10 days after you catch the bug.
At first, it can feel like the common cold, but after about a week, patients will get coughing bouts that last for a few minutes and are worse at night.
Young babies may also make a distinctive “whoop” or have difficulty breathing.
The cough can bring up thick mucus, which can cause people to be sick.
Young children or babies might turn blue or grey because of difficulty breathing, while adults might become red in the face.
If you or your child’s lips, tongue, face, or skin suddenly turn blue or grey, call 999 or go to A&E immediately.
The condition spreads very quickly and can sometimes cause serious problems, including rib fractures, pneumonia and seizures.
By week eight, the violent cough will usually have developed into something milder.
But it can last several months for some, so it is often dubbed the ‘100-day cough’.
Ask for an urgent appointment or call NHS 111 if:
- Your cough is very bad or gets worse very quickly
- You feel very unwell
- You have chest pain
- The side of your neck feels swollen or painful
- You find it difficult to breathe
- You cough up blood
If you do have whooping cough, antibiotics taken within the first three weeks can help stop it from spreading to others but are unlikely to help ease any symptoms.
Is it hay fever?
With pollen counts rising England over the weekend, there is a chance your itchy throat could be a sign of hay fever.
Hay fever is an allergic reaction to pollen, a fine powder produced by plants.
As your immune system overacts to antigens such as pollen, releasing histamines, here are some typical symptoms you might experience:
- Sneezing
- Coughing caused by postnasal drip (mucus dripping down the throat from the back of the nose)
- A runny or blocked nose
- Itchy, red or watery eyes
- Itchy throat, mouth, nose and ears
Less commonly, you may also experience:
- Loss of smell
- Pain around the sides of your head and your forehead caused by blocked sinuses
- Headache
- Earache
- Tirednes
Seasonal allergies don’t usually cause fever, but you might get one with a cold.
Is it Covid?
Health chiefs raised the alarm about risking cases of Covid in the last month, driven by new variants and the waning immunity built up from vaccines and prior infections among the public.
The FLiRT variants, known individually as KP.2 and KP.3, saw their combined share of UK Covid cases reach 67 per cent on May 5, the latest day for which data is available.
The variants involve two key mutations from the JN.1 virus, which means they can spread more quickly.
Both have now risen to become the new dominant variant, replacing JN.1 in a matter of weeks.
The most common Covid symptoms include:
- Runny nose (31.1 per cent)
- Cough (22.9 per cent)
- Headache (20.1 per cent)
- Weakness or tiredness (19.6 per cent)
- Muscle ache (15.8 per cent)
- Sore throat (13.2 per cent)
- Trouble sleeping (10.8 per cent)
- Worry or anxiety (10.5 per cent)
But loss of taste and smell – once a hallmark sign of the bug – is only reported by two to three per cent of infected Brits, according to the winter Covid report from the Office For National Statistics (ONS) in the UK.
Fever, another typical symptom of older variants, was only experienced by two per cent of people.
ONS scientists suggest that anxiety can also be a sign that someone has the bug, as 10 per cent of Brits with Covid reported anxiety, excess worrying or trouble sleeping since early November.
Meanwhile, 23 per cent of people reported experiencing a cough, and 20 per cent a headache.
Nearly 20 per cent of people with the bug reported weakness and fatigue, 16 per cent reported experiencing muscle aches, and 13 per cent had a sore throat.
What to do if your child is coughing
By Isabel Shaw, health reporter
A child’s cough can sound terrible, so understandably, you might be concerned if you catch your little one suffering.
But most coughs aren’t usually a sign of anything serious.
In fact, a cough is a healthy reflex that clears fluid from the throat and chest.
They happen when nerve endings in those airways get irritated, usually from a virus or an allergen.
With the UK facing a whooping cough outbreak, new Covid strains circulating and pollen levels set to rise over the coming days, there’s a chance one of the above could be behind your child’s cough.
There’s usually no need to see a GP if your child has a cough.
A pharmacist can help give you advice or advice on medicines to take, which can ease the symptoms.
But some coughs are more serious than others and require further help.
If you notice your little one making a ‘whoop’ sound when they cough or have back-to-back coughing fits, they could have a whooping cough.
Call your doctor right away if you suspect whooping cough.
It usually requires antibiotic treatment, and some kids may need to be treated in a hospital.
You should also visit your GP if your child’s cough has lasted three weeks and is losing weight for no reason.
Call NHS 111 if the coughing is very bad, your child is struggling to breathe, has neck or chest pain, or is coughing up blood.