BRITS are being urged to social distance this Christmas by 'elbow bumping' relatives instead of hugging them.
A leading virologist gave the advice after new government data suggested cases of whooping cough have risen by 250 per cent compared to last year.
Looking at 2023 until late November, data from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) revealed 1,141 suspected cases in England and Wales.
This is more than double the 450 for the same period of 2022, and 454 for that period in 2021 – about a 250 per cent increase.
Speaking to The Sun, Prof Richard Tedder, ex-head of the Department of Virology at the University College London (UCL), warned that cases would likely rise further over Christmas as people socialise more than usual.
He said: "People should ensure they are vaccinated and consider using masks to help prevent the spread [of whooping cough].
"They could also adopt the 'no hugging or kissing' rule and use their elbows to greet people."
Experts say the rise in cases could be a hangover from restrictions during the Covid pandemic, like mask-wearing and hand hygiene.
Prof Helen Bedford, an expert in child public health at UCL, said: "Whooping cough, like other infections, saw a huge decline due to the public health measures introduced in Covid-19.
"We are now seeing increases in cases of other infections".
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