Two-month-old Alihan diagnosed with Covid and whooping cough simultaneously
2-Month-Old Baby Overcomes Covid and Whooping Cough
Dilek and Sadık Gülsün took their 2-month-old baby, Ali Han, to Ankara University Faculty of Medicine Cebeci Research and Practice Children’s Hospital, due to severe cough and bruising on his face. After being diagnosed with Covid-19 and whooping cough, he was immediately treated in intensive care. Fortunately, after 10 days of treatment, Alihan was declared Covid-19-free and showed improvement in his coughing fits.
Dr. Ergin Çiftçi, Head of Pediatric Infectious Diseases Department at Ankara University Faculty of Medicine, emphasized the severity of the situation. He stated that whooping cough in babies under 6 months old is life-threatening, and the presence of both diseases was concerning. However, Alihan’s Covid-19 was treated successfully and, according to tests, he was no longer contagious from whooping cough, bringing hope to his recovery.
Although Dr. Çiftçi noted that it is rare to see both Covid-19 and whooping cough at the same time, he expressed the increasing trend of whooping cough cases. Highlighting the danger posed by whooping cough, he mentioned that despite the measures taken for Covid-19, whooping cough cases have started to emerge once again.
Amidst the ongoing pandemic, influenza and RSV viruses are predominant in this period, alongside the rise in Covid-19 cases, according to Prof. Çiftçi. Moreover, he indicated that Covid-19 is the third most prevalent respiratory infection following influenza and RSV viruses.
This case serves as a testament to the complexities of managing diseases during this global health crisis and the importance of timely and diligent medical care, especially for vulnerable groups like infants.
