Man with persistent cough shopping with partner - just why?!?

[Defenbaker]

I went shopping today, for essential items, to a large supermarket. There was a small queue, with a security guard letting people enter as others left, to ensure social distancing inside. All very calm and not many people inside, so that was good.

However, in the second aisle there was a man coughing. I thought, oh well, it's probably nothing, just an ordinary cough, don't panic. I avoided him anyway, just in case. However, he then kept on coughing, at regular intervals, all around the shop. He never once used a tissue, or even his hand or the crook of his arm to catch the cough, and the cough was just the sort of dry, persistent cough that medics have described as a symptom! Regardless of whether he had the Covid19 virus or not, he was certainly not being careful to keep his germs to himself. I wondered how many people he could be infecting.

Although I tried my best to avoid him, he then appeared quite near me, where I was using the self scan till. This conversation took place:

Me: "It might be a good idea if you wait outside while your partner does the shopping, as you have a cough."

(He looked stunned, as though the idea hadn't occurred to him.)
Him: "Oh, it's just a cough, I don't have a temperature!"

Me: "That's a symptom, you might have it, you don't know."
Him: "I've been to the doctor... I don't have it."

Me: "So, have you had the test then? Did you have a negative result?"
Him: "The doctor said I'm fine... " (He looked shifty, like he was tempted to lie but found it difficult while I fixed my gaze on him.)
Me: "Even if you haven't got it, people are bound to be anxious when you're coughing all over the store. It really would be best if you wait outside."
Him: "Mmm... maybe... "

All the time his partner said nothing. I got the impression she was a bit embarassed to be with him, as she knew how others would view his germ ridden presence.

He then sloped off. AIBU to think that he had no reason to accompany another (able bodied) adult around the shop, and should have known better than to behave so thoughtlessly during this health crisis?

We've had people on our village Facebook group moaning today that not enough people from certain roads were out clapping at 8pm. They can fuck off as well.

Same where I live. Last week the moaners said they would be keeping an eye out this week to see who was and wasn't clapping. This week they posted things like "twelve houses in Such-and-such Crescent and only two were out clapping, shame on them!" It's ridiculous. Same people also post on the residents group about people not social distancing and that they're seeing families out walking together instead of one at a time, a married couple holding hands were branded 'idiots' for not being two metres away from one another.

There are people out there who seem to think they're in charge of what is and isn't right during lockdown. It's all a bit too "burn the witch" for my liking.

@VanGoghsDog Jesus. You need to come off Facebook or move. That would drive me insane!

The doctor said he was fine so he was fine. You sound really proud of yourself. I have a recurring cough due to asthma so if you had approached me I would have asked you why you think you know better than a doctor.

Ffs you aren’t the bloody cough police. I completely agree with precautions and lockdown etc but you have no right to be speaking to people like that. My FIL has a persistent dry cough as a side effect of his daily medication and he’d rightly tell you to piss off!

@TimeAintNothing

FMD move it’s the only option!!

I have chronic, cough variant asthma. A persistent dry cough is just part of my life, particularly in the colder months. Granted, I don't go around openly spluttering and making no attempt to catch it.

I'd have told you tae get tae fuck in no uncertain terms if you'd had the temerity to start questioning me at the self-scan.

Luckily, this is another one of those things that never happened.

@TimeAintNothing

The joys of village life, eh?

YWBVVVU

My mum has lung disease and has become paranoid about her constant cough because of people like you. If you'd challenged her and made her uncomfortable I'd have been extremely pissed off with you. And you're making big assumptions about whether his partner is able to shop alone. You have no right to go demanding the medical status of other shoppers.

I’ve had a cough for nearly three weeks so I’ve isolated as instructed and presumably not infectious anymore.

However I did take tissues whenever I left the house. The cough isn’t the problem, the poor hygiene is regardless of which germs he’s carrying.

"If his reply was “I have lung cancer”, what would you have said?"

I'd have pointed out that cancer doesn't make you immune from covid.

It's pretty simple, if you're symptomatic, you isolate.

I’m mildly asthmatic and cough with it instead of wheeze. I had to go to the shop today and I was so conscious of the cough, luckily it was quiet. Not every cough is Covid

My hay fever is nuts just now, and I have horrible post-nasal drip which makes me cough, particularly when I lie down. I am 100% certain it’s tree pollen, like this time every single year.

@cleopatrascorset no, you only need to isolate with a NEW persistent cough. If someone has lung cancer and has been coughing for 6 months already, that’s not new, no requirement to isolate

The joys of village life, eh?

Where everybody knows your name and your business

two people arent even allowed in together in our tesco-unless she needed help

still he could have coghed into a tissue or something

My 15 month old has been coughing a couple of times a day since January. Nothing new and definitely not persistent. He was prescribed an asthma pump after 10 weeks and I was told to see how things go. He always seems to cough whenever we enter a supermarket since this crisis (he’s only been twice in 3 weeks). It’s just a few coughs but they’re loud and mortifying. The looks of sheer terror I get (not that I blame anyone). It’s hard, I’m waiting for someone to say something. I sort of wish someone would so that I can loudly explain that he gets chesty after coming in from the cold (we walk 25 mins to supermarket).

I had a persistent cough due to rhinitis causing post nasal drip. It’s improved a bit due to surgery but hay fever kicked it off again. It takes a couple of weeks for the steroid sprays to help enough.

Some people are idiots and will ignore CV symptoms but not every CV type symptom means the person has CV.

My cough is not a new cough. I have had it for years.

"If his reply was “I have lung cancer”, what would you have said?"

@LolaSkoda I would have said "I'm really sorry to hear that, but with a cough like that people are going to be anxious that you could be spreading the virus. Anyway - maybe you would be best avoiding the supermarket, as you're more vulnerable than most. Take care."

To the people saying I was acting like the SS, and had no right to question him, my response is that I have every right to challenge someone who appeared to be putting the health of others at risk, with his constant, unchecked coughing.

I did wonder if he might have a smoker's cough, but I doubt that was the case, as I can usually smell smoke on people's clothing across the room (bloodhound type sense of smell, me). Even so, he could easily have said "Oh, it's a smoker's cough", and I would have said "Oh, I see. Sorry for being paranoid, but anyway maybe you'd best wait outside while your partner shops, because... " as per my first paragragh.

My MIL is 85 and has had a chesty cough, on and off, for years (passive smoker, husband smoked heavily), so I do understand that some people have a long term cough that they live with, but this man's cough wasn't like that. Even so, if someone already has a cough, why put themselves at risk of catching the virus on top of that, when their partner is able to shop without them and they can avoid it? It just doesn't make sense!

Well, I don’t think you are being unreasonable OP. The whole point of the lockdown is to reduce the risk of transmission of the virus. When someone coughs, they are spraying tiny molecules of their spit and mucus everywhere. The guidance on this is very clear and he should have stayed home.

I still have a post Corona cough. Mostly just when I go into a different temperature or change of air. It's now week 3. DH is NHS and on shifts, i'm working at home. I do the shopping, I try not to cough but can't always stop it. I appreciate it might make people nervous but i'm perfectly fine and we need food.

I have a persistent cough - so far it has persisted for three months. I catch a cold and can’t get rid of the cough. Last year my cough lasted 10 months, the year before 9 months. (Yes I have had it investigated and have a diagnosis of sorts). Fortunately they state a new persistent cough or I would never be able to go out.

The guidance on this is very clear and he should have stayed home.

His doctor said he is fine. He would only need to stay at home if it was a new cough and even then only for seven days.

my dads had a dry cough for years.people giving him looks is starting to get old.

To the people saying I was acting like the SS, and had no right to question him, my response is that I have every right to challenge someone who appeared to be putting the health of others at risk, with his constant, unchecked coughing.

I don't mean this unkindly but you really, really don't have that right. You are not employed by any sort of public health agency and, even if you are, you were not there in any official capacity. As a member of the public you have no right to query anyone's medical situation or to pass comment on your opinion of it.

I think you’ve done the right thing by mentioning it. You may have been wrong or he could be lying . But too many people are dying. If he was lying at least it will make him think twice about going out again. If the OP was wrong I’m sure she’d apologise.