What to do about family and not containing cough

[SMJYellow]

I live with my mother. She's getting a pension but she's a few years younger than shielding age. She doesn't smoke. She seems to have a little bit of a cough. To date I think it was more dust related. Anyways whenever she coughs, she doesn't care about containing her cough. She won't use a tissue. She won't cough into her elbow. She coughs into the open.

Just this evening her cough has increased. So far she had a little bit of a cough or it was more like clearing her throat. The coughing has increased this evening. Not a care in the world to go and contain her cough and protect me. She is also refusing to isolate into her room. She says she's fine. That's not the point. What if its the virus?

Generally she's been follkwi8the guidelines. She has reduced her movements out and about in public. We went out on Monday to the shops together and it was the first time in a few weeks. Aside from that, myself and her, we walk, quite rural walks. We don't live in a hot-spot either. The risk of picking up the virus is low.

[StrawberryJam200]

To be honest if she has got it, she'll have been most /more infectious before symptoms started so you've probably been exposed to it anyway, it's just a question of how much viral dose you get. Is it possible to pinpoint when her cough got worse?

If she's had a cough for longer than a few weeks with no other symptoms then the normal advice (pre Covid) is to get it checked out anyway, in case it's a sign of something serious. Not sure what the GP would say at the moment, probably worth ringing surgery and asking.

[StrawberryJam200]

She shouldn't be going out for walks coughing though, would she stop that?

Does she understand about how serious this virus can be?

[Ilets]

You could just isolate in your room instead

[Ilets]

Has she tried hayfever tablets/spray? Pollen is mad this year

[SMJYellow]

I notice a mistake in the original post

'she's been following guidelines'.

[letsdolunch321]

Could the cough be hay fever related as the weather has been warmer?

[Fisharefriendstoo]

Virus or not it’s grim that she openly just coughs and makes no effort to contain it.

[SMJYellow]

Her cough to date, is more dust related I think. It was more like clearing her throat. It wasn't a heavy cough.

I've been encouraging her to cover her coughs, when she does, but she doesn't care. I'm not being angry at her when I ask her to cover her cough. I've been reminding her gently to please cover her mouth when ckughing. Just in case she picks up the virus.


Its just today/her cough got a little bit more heavier and there's more cough too. Previous to this, the pattern of her cough was - a light cough, once in a while, a few times a day. The cough is a li3bit different today.

[Ilets]

Try hayfever tablets. They help with dust allergy as well. Why is she exposed to dust?
If not, try the GP

[SMJYellow]

She does suffer with sinus at times. I don't know if she ever had hay-fever. Maybe the two can exist together.

Either way there is an increase in her coughing this evening.

[SMJYellow]

I've been meaning to get hay-fever tablets for myself for some weeks so I will pick up some medicine in the local pharmacy tomorrow.

[Inkpaperstars]

Well, whatever the cause I think you both need to isolate at this point. Very annoying I know as it may well not be anything significant , but still best to do so.

[Pipandmum]

It's polite to cover your mouth when you cough, virus or not. It's a dry persistent cough for covid. It is unlikely she has it - people cough for lot of reasons- but I think you need to be firmer about her hygiene.

[SMJYellow]

Strawberryjam, she's someone who watches all the gloom on TV. She understands the virus is serious. She would have to be bedridden to stay in from a walk. She doesn't care about containing her cough to protect me, she's not really going to care about strangers in public.

[Ilets]

Yes but if you really think its covid you shouldn't be going to the pharmacy either!

[SMJYellow]

I don't know if it is covid or not. She does have an increase in coughing this evening.

[Ilets]

Then you have to decide I guess because the rules are that a new continuous cough means your mum stays home for 7 days and you stay home for 14 days
Personally I'd try the hayfever tablets or GP by phone if you think it's something else

You can self isolate instead of her, same difference if she stays in one room or you do.

[StrawberryJam200]

But how can she both understand how serious it is and at the same time not care about possibly infecting you/others? Is it a not understanding about mild symptoms still being symptoms?

[Dodgytrousers]

Cough or not, your mother clearly has few manners. How ignorant.

[SMJYellow]

My mother was coughing more yesterday evening. It was only a light cough. It was here and there. It wasn't continuous. It didn't sound deep. She said its because there's a feeling of something stuck in her throat.

We are living in a rural village in Ireland. Our area is not a known hot-spot. We are following the guidelines. I don't know of the local post office would be a hot-spot for picking up infection.

I do think chances of it being covid19 is slim but still it's nerve wrecking all the same. She generally has a low body temperature about 35.8 to 36, so I don't know what a fever would be like for her. I suspect a figure of about 37 could be considered a fever for her due to a low body temperature.


Leaving all that aside, she's still coughing into the open at home without a care in the world for me or my brother at home. She watches all the corona virus doom news and she understands the virus is out there. I don't think she understands the reasons why we are being asked to cover our coughs and sneezes and to isolate into our rooms with the onset of symptoms. I'm disappointed in her. The only solution is for me to isolate into my room when I'm at home but that's not always possible. It's nor fair what she's doing.


She asked me to buy her a cream online and that should be in the mail this week. I'm thinking if I should treat her like a child at this stage. If a child did something naughty, they would be faced with a naughty step or a toy taken away. Should I tie this cream that she wants in with training her to cover her coughs. I've asked her nicely just to cover her coughs and she doesn't care. If I see her coughing into the open, should I just take the cream she wanted of me until she learns to cover her mouth?