Chris Evans has revealed his five-year-old son Boo, one of his four children with wife Natasha Shishmanian, has been experiencing what he believes is whooping cough for quite some time. The Virgin Radio Breakfast Show host shared the news after reading that, according to the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) cases of the infection, also known as the 100-day cough, had increased in the UK.
Addressing the news, the 57-year-old appeared baffled by the term at first, as he told his co-star: “I thought there was something else going on, a new 100-day cough. My kids have got it, Boo has had it for ages and ages, maybe that’s why I’m talking about it.”
According to data from UKHSA, there were 716 suspected cases of whooping cough in England and Wales from early July to the end of November last year, compared with 217 in the same period in 2022, however, it is unclear which ages they were.
Last month, Jeremy Clarkson raised concerns about the infection after suffering from symptoms for a number of days. In his column with The Sun, he shared: “I cough myself to sleep at night, my nose is like a tap, and every morning I produce about a pint of phlegm. I’ve tried everything. Pills. Lemsip. Sitting in front of a roaring fire watching Slow Horses.
“It seems I’m not alone. Doctors are saying that, across the country, thousands of others are suffering too from what’s become known as ‘the 100 day cough’ or as it used to be called ‘whooping cough’,” he added, admitting he believed the infection had died out several years ago.
The presenter went on to express concerns about the infection as he highlighted that according to data, nearly 300,000 people, mostly children, die every year from it worldwide.
He added: “The death rate in poorer-income areas can be as high as four per cent. With babies, things are even worse. And what fascinates me is that no one is paying much attention to the outbreak here.”
Shortly after Jeremy’ concerns, Dr Natalia Bogatcheva, GP at The London General Practice, told Express.co.uk that there was no current recorded outbreak of pertussis in the UK.
She added: “Although the UKHSA reported an increased number of suspected cases that currently stands at around 1200 mark, however the number of true laboratory-confirmed cases remains much lower than that.
“The number remains the lowest since the pre-pandemic years. The last recorded outbreak was in 2012, and this is when a Nationwide vaccination programme for pregnant women was rolled out.”
In a conversation with Casinos.win, she went on to say: “One of the reasons that there may be a perceived lack of public awareness is that the infection rate remains below a certain threshold in order for the Public health authorities to act with or a wider-coverage vaccination programme, thus only limiting it to vulnerable groups.”
The doctor also stressed that while adults may suffer from bad symptoms, it is “not a fatal illness” and that the vast majority “recover with no ongoing issues” unlike in more vulnerable groups such as babies and children, who could suffer from further health complications and potential deaths.
In vulnerable adults, it could also cause “recurrent respiratory infections, breathing difficulties” as well as “complications arising from fractured ribs following severe coughing fits”.
Express.co.uk has contacted a representative for UKHSA for the latest figures.
Elsewhere on his show today, Chris revealed he had a blocked right nostril which made him feel like he had vertigo.
The presenter expressed his concerns to guest, breathwork guru James Nestor in the studio, who issued a few tips to help.
The Chris Evans Breakfast Show airs weekdays on Virgin Radio from 6am.
