– I cough and cough until I have no lung capacity to cough anymore. And then one of two things happens. Either I throw up, or I stop breathing, says Henriette Borchgrevink from Drammen. She was infected with whooping cough at the beginning of June, but is still not well. Henriette Borchgrevink used atomizers to relieve the pain. Photo: Private – No matter how hard you try to breathe in, it’s just like someone has put a lid on your larynx. Which means that there is no sound or anything. And then comes the horror. The fear of not being able to breathe again. You cough until you pass out, says Borchgrevink. She tells of sleepless nights, fear of death and exhaustion that has lasted for more than 70 days. – The first time I couldn’t breathe, I grabbed my mobile phone and dialed 113. Because then I was sure I was actually going to die. It sounds really stupid. But I couldn’t breathe, says Borchgrevink. Strong increase in infections Henriette is not alone. Thousands of Norwegians get the disease every year. A number of European countries report a sharp increase in whooping cough, which is also called “hundred-day cough”. Norway is no exception. According to figures from the Norwegian Institute of Public Health, 3,814 new cases of infection have been registered so far this year, the highest number in more than ten years. During July and August alone, 1,645 Norwegians have been diagnosed with the disease. Infection control specialist Einar Sagberg asks anyone who gets symptoms of whooping cough to get tested. Photo: Azad Razaei / news – We saw that the incidence of whooping cough was almost zero during the pandemic years. It may be that we have built up an immunological debt in the population, which makes many more susceptible, says infection control chief Einar Sagberg in Drammen. He encourages anyone who gets symptoms of whooping cough to get tested. If you become infected, it is urgent to get treatment. – Within two to three weeks, it may be appropriate to give a course of antibiotics, which may soften or dampen the course a little, says Sagberg. Before and after: The picture on the left shows Henriette Borchgrevink when the whooping cough was at its worst. Photo: Jan-Erik Wilthil / news Dramatic for the family Henriette’s daughter and husband were also infected, but none of them became as sick as her. Turned out: Henriette was bedridden for a whole week when she contracted whooping cough. Photo: Private – They received treatment with antibiotics early on, and got away with milder symptoms, she says. For the family, the illness has been dramatic. – I ended up in the emergency room. My husband did not dare to take me back home until he had made sure that I did not die when I had the coughing fits, says Henriette. The doctor reassured her that although she is coughing until she passes out, there is no danger to her life. This is whooping cough: Whooping cough is defined as an infectious disease dangerous to the public. The disease is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis, and is highly contagious. The first symptoms are a runny nose, cough and possibly fever for a week. This is followed by an illness period of several weeks during which one has strong coughing fits with wheezing (forceful inhaling after a coughing fit) and possibly vomiting. The disease is not considered particularly dangerous for healthy adults. Infants are most susceptible to a severe course of whooping cough, and in rare cases can die due to serious complications of the infection or because they stop breathing during the coughing fits. All Norwegian children are offered the whooping cough vaccine in the child vaccination programme. Adults are recommended to be revaccinated every 10 years. All examinations and treatment of whooping cough are free, and are covered by the national insurance. Source: Norwegian Health Care Agency/FHI – Get the vaccine All children and pregnant women are offered a vaccine against whooping cough. Many people are not aware that adults should also be revaccinated, no later than after 10 years. Henriette Borchgrevink encourages everyone who needs it to revaccinate against whooping cough. Photo: Jan-Erik Wilthil / DKBU – I sincerely thought that it was a childhood disease, and that there is no further vaccination program for adults. That the vaccine only works for five to ten years, I never realized that, says Borchgrevink. After more than two months, she is finally on the road to recovery. Now she encourages everyone who needs it to refresh the vaccine. – Go to Helsenorge and book an appointment. You don’t want this disease, she says. Published 13.08.2024, at 09.16
ttn-69
– Cough until you pass out – news Buskerud – Local news, TV and radio
