Mask mandates have gone into effect inside all of New York’s 11 public hospitals.
A mysterious cough has been gripping the nation after the holiday season as respiratory illnesses are on the rise.
Some Americans are calling the sickness the “100-day cough,” because sometimes that is how long it takes to shake off. One woman battling the cough for three weeks told social media she is getting treatment for whooping cough.
Whooping cough is usually associated with children and has been nearly eradicated in recent years thanks to vaccines. But, doctors say the illness is making a comeback because of post-pandemic vaccine fatigue.
“Unfortunately, during COVID, a lot of children did not get their boosters,” Dr. Sharon Nachman of Stony Brook Children’s Hospital says. “The truth is we have great vaccines. It doesn’t have any untoward effects.”
Suffolk County in New York reported an outbreak of 108 cases of whooping cough. The county had four cases last year.
Health officials are also battling a post-holiday health crisis. A surge of patients are suffering from COVID and the flu at the same time. In Los Angeles County, health care workers are being advised to wear masks in an attempt to stop the spread.
Realtor Gayla Bustos recently recovered after getting the flu just before Christmas and then testing positive for COVID.
“I had that cough, I had that sore throat, I thought I had strep throat, and then all of a sudden my body just shut down,” Bustos tells Inside Edition. “I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy.”
Mask mandates have gone into effect inside all of New York’s 11 public hospitals.
