Forced to test

[letsgo0920]

I'll try and keep this succinct! My DH has a cold - sore throat, headache, blocked nose and cough. No temperature.

He works in an open office and started coughing. Everyone got very nervous and double checked his temp again with no change. They have a temp check every day as they enter too.

His boss sent him home and hasn't let him return for the last two days unless he has a covid test. As we all know, these are scarce right now and regardless DH doesn't qualify to have one as doesn't have the symptoms.

DH works in sales and is losing money each day by not working. He has explained the above to his manager who replied "we will get you a test sorted"???

AIBU by thinking that if the NHS say he doesn't need one, his work should be happy for him to be back? We wouldn't want to take up a test anyway when other people need them more. Advice gratefully received!

He has a cough though? That’s one of the three test triggering symptoms. HIs work are right, he needs a test.

I don’t understand he has a cough and that is one of the symptoms

AIBU by thinking that if the NHS say he doesn't need one, his work should be happy for him to be back?

But the NHS say he does need a test.

He has a cough.

Really?

But is it a continuous cough? Coughing a few times a day does not equate to a continuous cough.

I was going to say YANBU but then noticed you said your husband had a cough. Perfectly sensible for his boss to request he arranges a test. Can he work from home until he gets a test?

@bloodywhitecat it's a 'persistent cough' which the NHS identifies as 3 or more bouts of coughing a day or a continuous cough

Depends on how much he is coughing tbh. A new, continuous cough is one of the symptoms they want people to get tested for.

Think his work are being sensible. He has a cough which is a qualifying symptom. Headache and sore throat are common symptoms. He needs a test.

He has a cough?

He has a cough which is one of the three triggers for testing, the others being a high temperature or loss/change to smell and/or taste. His work is correct.

Lots of people have reported other symptoms and other counties have some of these as a trigger for testing. Sore throat being an example of this.

If he has a cough he should get the test. Lots of people have mild symptoms, he doesn’t need to be coughing 24 hours a day. Trust me I know this as I have it. It can start with very mild symptoms but you have no idea the anxiety and worry you experience when you are told your family has it and you are then faced with retracing your steps to work out if you have infected anyone else. It’s hellish. At first it can just feel like the onset of an ordinary cold, but at this stage you are totally contagious to others. Get him tested and all isolate until you get the result.

He has a cough he should be tested

He has one of the 3 main symptoms which says he needs to isolate. He needs to stay in the house and get a test. If he doesn't want to get a test then he needs to isolate at home (and everyone he lives with.)

Thanks for the quick replies.

He doesn't have a continuous cough, it was just the odd bit during the last two days. TBH I haven't heard him cough once today.

We are more than happy for him to have a test if one were available.

As everyone above has said, he does have a cough and needs to test. Frustrating perhaps but I can completely see where his employer is coming from. I hope you manage to get a test soon.

He has a cough though? That’s one of the three test triggering symptoms. HIs work are right, he needs a test

A continuous cough is a test triggering symptom

@iamyourequal

If he has a cough he should get the test. Lots of people have mild symptoms, he doesn’t need to be coughing 24 hours a day. Trust me I know this as I have it. It can start with very mild symptoms but you have no idea the anxiety and worry you experience when you are told your family has it and you are then faced with retracing your steps to work out if you have infected anyone else. It’s hellish. At first it can just feel like the onset of an ordinary cold, but at this stage you are totally contagious to others. Get him tested and all isolate until you get the result.

Thanks for this, it's helpful to hear from someone that's had similar.

He does need one though, as he is coughing which is a symptom. You only need there coughing episodes in 24 hours for it to be continuous.

@bloodywhitecat

But is it a continuous cough? Coughing a few times a day does not equate to a continuous cough.

This is what I was thinking?

His employer is correct, but I would ask if he can wfh.

@letsgo0920 NHS states persistent cough, which can be either a continuous cough or 3 or more bouts of coughing in a day. I'm assuming he had a bout of coughing more than 3 times while was at work

I had covid back on March. No temp, an on and off cough not what I'd call continuous. To me it felt like the mask made me cough (medical setting). I did lose me taste and smell but only towards the end of having it. Mild symptoms really.

So absolutely would not be happy if my work let someone with those symptoms back in the building without a negative swab.

Come on, his boss didn't send him home and insist on a test because he had a frog in his throat once in a day. He must have bees coughing at work and therefore could have tested.