As we move into this new phase of the pandemic, I’ve been watching a number of unusual patterns emerge — patterns that absolutely demand deeper study. Many people hoped that once the pandemic had passed, once populations had been vaccinated or infected, everything would simply return to normal. But this virus has never behaved normally, and it continues to catch out anyone who underestimates it.
If you remember, after the first summer people thought it was over. Then the next summer: “It’s finally over.” And the summer after that, the same wishful thinking. This virus continues to defy expectations — and I say that as gently as I can while staying out of trouble.
Today I want to explore one of the most important pieces of post-pandemic research I’ve seen:
“Incidence of Respiratory Infections After the COVID-19 Pandemic (2023–2024) and Its Association with Vaccination Among the Entire Korean Population.”
Korea and Japan are doing the heavy lifting when it comes to actually analysing what the pandemic has done to population health — and thank goodness they are.
Because after a major pandemic driven by a novel virus and novel technology, any society that isn’t studying the long-term consequences should make us deeply concerned.
Song, Jihun, et al. “Incidence of Respiratory Infections after the COVID-19 Pandemic (2023–2024) and Its Association of Vaccination Among Entire Populations in Korea.” International Journal of Infectious Diseases (2025): 108194.
What the Korean Data Actually Shows
The paper highlights several critical shifts in respiratory infections after COVID:
Influenza-like illnesses dropped dramatically during the pandemic.
Upper respiratory infections and the common cold surged in 2023.
Most striking: people with more than four COVID vaccine doses appeared “protected” against pertussis.
And yet — pertussis across the population surged 46-fold above expected levels in late 2023.
That last point is astonishing. On the surface, the data suggests that individuals with four or more doses of the COVID vaccine show far fewer pertussis cases. And not by a little — by a dramatic margin.
But across the entire population, pertussis cases exploded.
The two findings should not be able to coexist.
This is where I step back and think through what might really be happening beneath the surface — and to be clear, this is my scientific extrapolation, not the conclusion of the Korean authors.
Why Pertussis and TB Are Suddenly Surging
Before the pandemic, pertussis cases were almost zero. During the pandemic, they remained at zero. Then suddenly — a massive spike. The same is true of tuberculosis: a long, steady decline from 2016 onward, falling right through the pandemic… until 2021–2022, where it flattens and then begins rising again.
Something has changed. Dramatically.
When you view pertussis and TB together, a pattern emerges:
both spread via droplets
both require a competent immune system to control
both are “bacteria that take advantage” of weakened immune defences
both surged in the same window
This suggests a widespread shift in immune competence at the population level.
The Most Puzzling Finding: Pertussis Is “Missing” in the 4-Dose Group
The Korean data shows:
428 pertussis cases in the ≥4-dose group
representing a 94% reduction compared to the reference group
despite a 46-fold increase across the entire population
Let me be plain:
The COVID vaccine is not an antibiotic.
Pertussis (Bordetella pertussis) is a bacterium. A COVID booster cannot directly prevent this bacterial infection.
So what explains the disappearance of pertussis diagnoses in the most vaccinated group?
Here is my analysis.
A New Pattern: Immune Suppression, Silent Carriage, and Atypical Symptoms
We know that repeated mRNA vaccination can lead to a rise in IgG4, a tolerant antibody subclass. While IgG4 has nothing to do with pertussis directly, it does alter how the immune system reacts to SARS-CoV-2. Those who have received four or more doses may experience:
fewer symptoms when infected
weaker interferon signalling (the immune “alarm system”)
longer persistence of virus in the sinuses
more cycles of silent reinfection
reduced ability to clear respiratory pathogens effectively
If you have low interferon, you don’t feel unwell — even when infected.
This creates the conditions for silent spreaders.
Not because they are irresponsible.
Not because they are doing anything wrong.
Simply because their immune system no longer signals danger the same way.
And if pertussis symptoms become atypical — meaning no whoop, no violent coughing fits — then clinicians will not recognise it. They won’t test. They won’t treat. This is how pertussis quietly transmits.
This is how pertussis numbers can “disappear” in the most vaccinated, while exploding in the general population.
The Overlap With Omicron: The 100-Day Cough
Omicron stays in the upper airways — the bronchi and bronchioles — and produces the infamous 100-day cough. Not deep pneumonia. Not air hunger. But a nagging, persistent cough that resembles a smoker’s cough.
This presentation looks very similar to atypical pertussis.
Instead of whooping cough, you get:
mild chronic cough
no fever
no alarm symptoms
persistent irritation
That may be pertussis, but unrecognised — especially in highly vaccinated individuals with muted immune responses.
This explains:
why pertussis diagnosis plummets in the 4-dose cohort
why pertussis surges massively population-wide
why TB begins rising at the same time
why pneumonia falls below expected levels
why common colds surge
It all fits a broader immune shift.
What This Means for Public Health
In the early pandemic, pressure was placed on the unvaccinated because they were thought to put others at risk.
But now, I am genuinely concerned that the situation has reversed.
The most vaccinated — particularly those with low interferon production and a predisposition to persistent infection — may now be at risk of silently transmitting infections like pertussis, Omicron, and even TB.
This isn’t about blame.
This is about understanding the physiology so we can help them.
We need to:
Identify those with persistent infection
Support their immune systems
Treat secondary bacterial infections early
Restore interferon signalling
Rebuild mucosal immunity
Because silent transmission has consequences — not only for pertussis, but for TB, RSV, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and other respiratory threats.
And silence from public health organisations is no longer acceptable.
How You Can Be Part of the Solution
This is complex. This is sensitive. And the implications are serious.
We need a community of people who can:
understand these patterns
spot early warning signs
guide others who are confused
help family and friends recognise risks
support interventions like vitamin D, nitric oxide, humming, mucosal care
encourage early testing and treatment
If someone has a persistent cough and they’re not a smoker, that may now be your cue to help them understand what they’re dealing with. They may need antibiotics. They may need immune support. They may simply need someone to point them in the right direction.
This is why I’ve created the ROOT Healer Community — a space for people who want to understand health in this new era and help others navigate the post-pandemic world.
The orientation guide is free, and it will show you exactly the journey we are building together.
Join the ROOT Healer Movement Here >
We cannot ignore the rise of TB.
We cannot ignore a 46-fold surge in pertussis.
We cannot ignore atypical disease presentation in the most vaccinated.
And we cannot ignore the silent spread dynamics now emerging.
Whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, none of us wants to see TB or pertussis spreading unchecked. And none of us wants to live through another crisis caused by looking the other way.
This is the time to pay attention.
And this is the time to help each other.
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