Respiratory illnesses on steady rise in Virginia

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) – Respiratory illnesses become more common in the fall and winter months, and officials say whooping cough and pneumonia in particular are on the rise.

Rachel Dumene, communication specialist with the Virginia Department of Health’s Central Shenandoah Health District, said cases of pneumonia and pertussis, also known as whooping cough, are more than triple the amount they have been in years past.

There are some symptoms that can help decipher if you the flu or another illness.

Dumene said coughing fits with the whooping cough can be so severe that it could impact someone’s breathing or make them throw up. Pneumonia can cause chest tightness and pain.

“However, with pneumonia, it is usually symptoms of chest tightness or difficulty breathing because of that infection inside your lungs,” Dumene said.

With the holidays around the corner, it is important to do your part to keep yourself and others around you from getting sick.

“Nobody likes to get sick. There is, of course, the core prevention strategies that you can always participate in, which include washing your hands and staying up-to-date on vaccines, and making sure you are staying home and away from others when you are sick, when you are able to,” Dumene said.

The vaccine for whooping cough is the DTaP and Tdap shots. The DTaP is a school-required vaccine for children, while Tdap is for adults.

“Pneumonia can be caused by other respiratory illnesses like Flu, COVID, and RSV,” Dumene said. “There is the annual flu vaccine, the latest COVID boosters and the RSV vaccine for those who need it.”

Dumene said if you are having difficulty breathing, it is important to get urgent medical care, and if you are experiencing less severe symptoms, you will still want to seek medical care with your general practitioner.

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