Jeremy Clarkson revealed he hasn’t had the best start to the year after suffering from what he believes is whooping cough. The 63-year-old said he is experiencing symptoms such as a runny nose and a persistent cough, which first began in mid-December.
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.”
With the symptoms still present a week later, Jeremy revealed he drank himself “into such a state that at one point, apparently, I was even spotted dancing” as he marked the end of 2023. The following day, he said along with the hangover headache, were the symptoms again.
According to the NHS, whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterial infection of the lungs and breathing tubes. It spreads very easily and can sometimes cause serious problems. The health service advise for babies and children in particular to get vaccinated against it.
In his new column with The Sun, Jeremy added: “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’.”
According to data from the UK Health Security Agency (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.
The agency add that Covid-19 is most likely to be the reason for the current increase in pertussis cases.
After sharing that nearly 300,000 people, mostly children, die every year worldwide from the infection, he added: “And what fascinates me is that no one is paying much attention to the outbreak here.”
Despite his concerns, Jeremy said he has managed to continue with his everyday duties such as farming and went on question whether it could just be a cold.
He sarcastically added: “Either way, it’s not the end of the world, because if I do become really ill, I can always see a doctor at my local hospital. No, hang on a minute .”