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Dr. Chrysoula I. Liakou MD, PhD
- Treated online: Yes, usually. Video assessment of the cough, with antibiotics if it started within the last 3 weeks.
- Symptoms: a cold for about a week, then fits of coughing that are worse at night and may end in a whoop, vomiting or a red face.
- How long: the coughing fits last 2 to 6 weeks and the cough can linger for months, which is why it is called the 100-day cough.
- Contagious: from a few days before the cough starts until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or 3 weeks after the cough began without them.
- Emergency: call 112 if lips, tongue, face or skin turn blue or grey, or breathing becomes hard after a coughing fit.
Do not book a video appointment if your lips, tongue, face or skin turn blue or grey, you are struggling to breathe after coughing fits, or you have chest pain that is worse when you breathe. These need emergency care: call 112. A baby or child with whooping cough symptoms needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, urgently if under 6 months.
Can an online doctor treat whooping cough?
Yes. In adults, whooping cough is diagnosed mainly from the story of the cough: how it started, what the coughing fits are like and how long they have lasted. The doctor can hear the cough on camera, decide whether whooping cough is likely and whether a test would help, and prescribe an antibiotic if the cough started within the last 3 weeks. Struggling to breathe or turning blue needs emergency care instead.
How an online consultation helps with whooping cough
- A diagnosis from the cough pattern: Coughing fits, a whoop, vomiting after coughing and a cough lasting 2 weeks or more are the signs doctors look for, and all of them can be described and heard on a video call.
- Antibiotics when they help: Antibiotics stop you passing whooping cough on if they are started within 3 weeks of the cough beginning. After that they no longer help, and the doctor tells you so.
- Protecting babies and pregnant women: Babies under 6 months are most at risk. The doctor checks who you live with and whether anyone at home should see their own doctor about preventive antibiotics.
- A plan for a long cough: You leave knowing how long the cough is likely to last, when you can go back to work, and which complications to watch for.
What the doctor checks in an online whooping cough consultation
The consultation follows a fixed order, and the emergency signs come first. The doctor asks about:
- Breathing: difficulty breathing after coughing fits, turning blue or grey, chest pain that is worse when breathing or coughing, and fainting during a fit.
- The story of the cough: when it started, whether it began like a cold, how long the fits last, and whether they end in a whoop or vomiting.
- Contacts: anyone with a similar cough, and whether you live or work with babies, pregnant women or people with a weak immune system.
- Vaccinations and pregnancy: whooping cough vaccines in childhood, any adult booster, and whether you are pregnant.
- Complications: sore ribs, a hernia, leaking urine when coughing, ear pain, or a fever, which can mean a chest infection.
Before the call, work out the day the cough started. If the fits mostly happen at night, ask someone to record one on a phone so the doctor can hear it.
Whooping cough symptoms in adults
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a bacterial infection of the airways caused by Bordetella pertussis. Symptoms usually start 7 to 10 days after catching it, sometimes up to 3 weeks, and come in three stages:
- The cold stage, about 1 to 2 weeks: a runny nose, a sore throat and a mild cough. A high temperature is uncommon. This is when it is most contagious.
- The coughing stage, 2 to 6 weeks: fits of hard, rapid coughing that last a few minutes and are worse at night, sometimes ending in a high-pitched gasp for breath (the whoop), vomiting or a very red face.
- The recovery stage, weeks to months: the fits slowly become milder and less frequent, though another cold can bring them back for a while.
Many adults never whoop, especially if they were vaccinated as children, so a cough that comes in fits and has lasted 2 weeks or more is worth checking even without the whoop. Eating, laughing or crying can set off a fit, and between fits you may feel quite well.
Whooping cough or an ordinary cough after a cold?
Most coughs after a cold are viral and fade within 3 weeks. Whooping cough follows a different pattern.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| Sign | Ordinary cough after a cold | More likely whooping cough |
|---|---|---|
| How it starts | With a cold, then slowly improves | Like a cold, then gets worse after about a week |
| Pattern | Steady coughing through the day | Fits of rapid coughs, worse at night |
| After a coughing fit | You feel normal | Gasping, a whoop, vomiting or a very red face |
| Between coughs | A mild cough on and off | Often well between fits |
| How long | Easing within 3 weeks | Lasting weeks to months |
| Fever | Mild, early on | Usually none |
A throat swab (PCR test) can confirm whooping cough in the first 3 weeks of the cough, and a blood test can detect it after 2 weeks. Testing should not delay treatment when the pattern is clear. Read more about coughs and colds.
How long does whooping cough last, and how long is it contagious?
The coughing fits usually last 2 to 6 weeks and then fade over the following weeks or months, which is why whooping cough is often called the 100-day cough. Antibiotics make little difference to the cough, especially when started late, so it tends to run its course.
You are contagious from a few days before the cough starts until about 3 weeks after it began. Antibiotics cut this short: after 48 hours of treatment you are much less likely to pass it on. Stay off work until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or for 3 weeks after the cough started if you do not take them. Whooping cough spreads very easily, and babies often catch it from an adult or older child at home.
Why whooping cough matters: babies and complications
In adults, whooping cough is exhausting but rarely dangerous. The main risk is to babies, especially those under 6 months, in whom it can cause breathing difficulties, pneumonia, dehydration, seizures and, rarely, death. Babies usually catch it from adults or older children who did not know they had it.
Whooping cough has returned across Europe: EU and EEA countries reported 209,674 cases in 2024, a rate more than eight times higher than in 2023. Protection from childhood vaccines and from a past infection fades over time, so adults can catch it again: immunity after the infection itself is thought to last somewhere between about 4 and 20 years.
Complications in adults
Hard coughing can cause sore or cracked ribs, a hernia, leaking urine, ear infections and weeks of broken sleep. Pneumonia and fainting during coughing fits can also happen, more often in older adults.
The whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy and for adults
The whooping cough vaccine is recommended in every pregnancy, between 16 and 36 weeks and often around 20 weeks, so that antibodies pass to the baby and protect it in its first weeks, before it can be vaccinated itself. It cannot give you whooping cough, because it contains no live bacteria. If you are pregnant and have not had it, ask your doctor or midwife.
Side effects are usually mild: swelling, redness or tenderness where the injection was given, lasting a few days, and sometimes a high temperature, nausea, loss of appetite, tiredness or a headache. Serious side effects are extremely rare, and there is no evidence that the vaccine is unsafe for you or your unborn baby.
Adults who work closely with babies or vulnerable patients, such as healthcare and childcare workers, may also be offered a booster. Ask your doctor whether it is recommended for you.
Which whooping cough treatment might the doctor recommend?
The key question is how long ago the cough started. This is the decision framework the doctors use, aligned with UK Health Security Agency and European guidance.
Swipe sideways to compare →
| What you have | Likely first step | Suitable for online care? | When in-person care is needed |
|---|---|---|---|
| A cough in fits that started less than 3 weeks ago | An antibiotic, usually azithromycin or clarithromycin, and self-care | Usually yes | If breathing becomes hard or you turn blue |
| A cough in fits that started more than 3 weeks ago | Self-care; antibiotics no longer help | Usually yes | If complications or breathlessness develop |
| Pregnant, with a cough in fits or contact with a case | An antibiotic suited to pregnancy, and advice on the vaccine | Usually yes | If you are unwell, breathless or close to your due date |
| Living with a baby under 6 months or a pregnant woman | Treatment for you; advice on preventive antibiotics for them | Usually yes | The baby needs a paediatrician or local doctor in person |
| Fever, breathlessness or chest pain during whooping cough | Assessment for pneumonia | Partly | If you are breathless or very unwell |
| Turning blue, struggling to breathe or fainting with coughing fits | Emergency care | No | Call 112 now |
Wondering whether your cough could be whooping cough? A doctor can tell you in one consultation.
See available times →Treatment options for whooping cough
What you can do yourself
- Rest, and drink plenty of fluids. Small, frequent meals help if coughing makes you sick.
- Take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you are uncomfortable, at the dose on the pack. Ibuprofen does not suit everyone, including people with a stomach ulcer, kidney problems or heart failure, or anyone who is pregnant.
- Stay off work until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or for 3 weeks after the cough started without them, and keep away from babies and pregnant women.
How to ease coughing fits at night
No treatment stops the coughing fits, and antibiotics do not shorten them, but these steps can make nights easier:
- Sleep propped up on pillows.
- Keep the bedroom free of smoke, dust and chemical fumes, which can set off coughing fits.
- Use a cool-mist humidifier to help loosen the mucus.
- Take a spoonful of honey, which may calm the cough.
- Eat small meals, which makes vomiting after a fit less likely, and keep water by the bed.
Prescription treatment
A prescription is never issued without a consultation. If your cough started within the last 3 weeks and whooping cough is likely, the doctor may prescribe an antibiotic, usually azithromycin or clarithromycin, or erythromycin late in pregnancy. The antibiotic stops you passing the infection on, but it may not ease the cough much. Take the whole course. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
What does not help
Cough mixtures do not ease whooping cough, and strong cough suppressants such as codeine are not prescribed online. Antibiotics started more than 3 weeks after the cough began do not help.
Special situations
Whooping cough in pregnancy
If you are pregnant and have whooping cough, or have been in close contact with someone who has it, speak to a doctor promptly. Erythromycin is the preferred antibiotic late in pregnancy, and because protecting the baby after birth is the priority, the doctor also checks whether you have had the vaccine.
Living with a baby
If you have whooping cough and live with a baby, especially one under 6 months or not fully vaccinated, the baby and the rest of the household may need preventive antibiotics, which the baby’s paediatrician or local doctor arranges. A baby with pauses in breathing, a blue or grey colour or a seizure needs emergency care: call 112.
Healthcare and childcare workers
If you work with babies, pregnant women or vulnerable patients, tell your employer, and stay off work until 48 hours after starting antibiotics, or for 3 weeks after the cough started if you are not taking them.
Whooping cough while travelling
Avoid travelling while you are contagious, to protect other passengers. Carry water for coughing fits, and note the day your cough started, because it decides whether antibiotics will help.
Children
Mobi Doctor consultations are for adults aged 18 and over. A child who is unwell needs a paediatrician or a local doctor in person, and emergency signs in a child mean 112.
When whooping cough is treated online, and when you need in-person care
Treated online: a cough in fits that may be whooping cough, antibiotics in the first 3 weeks of the cough, advice on work, contagiousness and protecting babies at home, and support through a long recovery.
In-person care: difficulty breathing, turning blue or fainting during coughing fits, suspected pneumonia, cracked ribs or a hernia that needs examining, and any baby or child with whooping cough symptoms.
When to get in-person care
Call 112 or go to an emergency department now for:
- lips, tongue, face or skin that suddenly turn blue or grey
- finding it hard to breathe properly, or shallow breathing
- chest pain that is worse when breathing or coughing
- fainting during coughing fits
- a baby who has pauses in breathing, turns blue or grey, or has a seizure
Get medical advice the same day for:
- a very bad cough that is getting worse
- contact with whooping cough if you are pregnant
- a baby under 6 months with any symptoms of whooping cough, who needs to be seen in person
- a fever, or vomiting after coughing so often that you cannot keep fluids down
How Mobi Doctor works
- Book a time that suits you: daily 7am–11pm CET. You can see a doctor over video, usually within 15 minutes. No subscription, and the exact price is shown before you pay.
- Speak to a licensed doctor about your cough: say the day it started, describe the coughing fits, and mention any babies or pregnant women at home.
- Leave with a plan: what to do, what to take and for how long, and which signs mean you should be seen in person. If the doctor prescribes, use the prescription at a pharmacy near you.
No sign-up needed
Not sure it’s whooping cough? Tick every symptom you have to see each condition page that mentions it. It finds the right page, not a diagnosis: a doctor gives you that on a video call.
Tap the body — an area or a point — to browse symptoms anywhere
Similar symptoms, different condition? Cough can start the same way. Compare them, or look up any other symptom in the full symptom checker.
Frequently asked questions about whooping cough
What is whooping cough?
Whooping cough, or pertussis, is a bacterial infection of the lungs and airways caused by Bordetella pertussis. It spreads very easily and causes fits of hard coughing that can last for weeks or months, which is why it is called the 100-day cough. It is most dangerous for babies under 6 months.
What are the symptoms of whooping cough in adults?
Whooping cough starts like a cold, with a runny nose and sore throat. After about a week, fits of hard coughing begin, worse at night, sometimes ending in a whoop, vomiting or a very red face. Many adults never whoop, so a cough in fits lasting 2 weeks or more is worth checking.
What causes whooping cough, and how do you catch it?
Whooping cough is caused by Bordetella pertussis bacteria, which spread in droplets when someone with the infection coughs or sneezes, and it is one of the most contagious infections known: most unprotected people who share a house with a case catch it. Symptoms start 7 to 10 days after contact, sometimes up to 3 weeks, and adults are usually infected by other adults or older children whose vaccine protection has worn off, which takes about 5 to 10 years.
How long does whooping cough last?
The coughing fits usually last 2 to 6 weeks and then fade slowly, and the cough can linger for 2 to 3 months, which is why it is called the 100-day cough. It does go away on its own, but slowly, and antibiotics make little difference to how long the cough lasts.
Is whooping cough contagious, and for how long?
Yes, very. You are contagious from a few days before the cough starts until about 3 weeks after it began. After 48 hours of antibiotics you are much less likely to pass it on, so stay off work until then, or for 3 weeks after the cough started if you do not take antibiotics.
Can adults get whooping cough if they were vaccinated?
Yes. Protection from childhood vaccines and from a past infection fades over time, so adults can catch whooping cough again. It is often milder in vaccinated adults, who may not whoop, but they can still pass it on to babies.
Do antibiotics help whooping cough?
Antibiotics stop you passing whooping cough on to others when they are started within 3 weeks of the cough beginning. They usually do not shorten the cough much, and after 3 weeks they are no longer recommended.
How can I ease whooping cough at home, especially at night?
Nothing stops whooping cough fits completely, and antibiotics do not shorten them. Sleeping propped up on pillows, keeping the bedroom free of smoke and fumes, a cool-mist humidifier, a spoonful of honey and small meals can make nights easier. Breathing difficulty or turning blue during a fit needs 112.
How is whooping cough diagnosed?
Doctors usually recognise whooping cough from the pattern of the cough: a cold-like start followed by coughing fits that last for weeks. A throat swab can confirm it in the first 3 weeks of the cough, and a blood test can detect it after 2 weeks.
Should I get the whooping cough vaccine in pregnancy?
Yes. The vaccine is recommended in every pregnancy, between 16 and 36 weeks, so that antibodies pass to the baby and protect it in its first weeks of life. It contains no live bacteria and cannot give you whooping cough.
How can I prevent whooping cough?
Vaccination is the main protection: the childhood course, a booster in the teens, a dose in every pregnancy from about 16 weeks, which protects the newborn for the first months, and a booster for adults who are in close contact with babies or who work in healthcare, because protection fades after 5 to 10 years. If someone at home has whooping cough, early antibiotics for them and preventive antibiotics for pregnant women, babies and other vulnerable contacts stop it spreading.
Is the whooping cough vaccine safe in pregnancy?
Yes. There is no evidence that the whooping cough vaccine is unsafe for you or your baby, and it contains no live bacteria. Side effects are usually mild, such as a sore, red or swollen arm for a few days, and sometimes a high temperature, nausea, tiredness or a headache. Serious side effects are extremely rare.
Can an online doctor treat whooping cough?
Yes, in adults. A doctor can assess the cough by video and, if it started within the last 3 weeks and whooping cough is likely, prescribe an antibiotic. You can use the prescription at a pharmacy near you. Babies and children need a doctor in person.
When is whooping cough an emergency?
Call 112 or go to an emergency department if lips, tongue, face or skin turn blue or grey, breathing becomes hard or shallow, there is chest pain on breathing or coughing, or someone faints during coughing fits. A baby with pauses in breathing needs 112.
- Pertussis: guidelines for public health management, UK Health Security Agency, 2026.
- Whooping cough, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 6 August 2026.
- Pertussis: annual epidemiological report for 2024, ECDC, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2026.
- Increase of pertussis cases in the EU/EEA, ECDC, European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, 2024.
- Pertussis (whooping cough), HPSC, Health Protection Surveillance Centre (Ireland), updated 14 October 2016.
- Vaccines needed during pregnancy, HSE, Health Service Executive (Ireland), 2026.
- Whooping cough vaccination in pregnancy, NHS, National Health Service (UK), reviewed 24 March 2023.
- Whooping cough (pertussis), Cleveland Clinic, updated 13 February 2025.
This page is for information only and is not a substitute for a medical consultation. Guideline links are provided for transparency; treatment decisions are made with your doctor.
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