How do you know if you've got real pertussis and not just usual bronchitis?

Be Tested: There are tests that can be done to demonstrate if you have pertussis. See your doctor.

Whooping cough: Just listening to a child's cough may differentiate pertussis (whooping cough) from bronchitis. Children often get infected by adults and tend to "whoop" more than them. More commonly, they are indistinguishable especially in adults. The whoop is produced by air hunger between prolonged fits of coughing. A PCR test can be performed to diagnose pertussis.