To assume my cough is because I have a cold

[Redsquirrel34]

So since Thursday I've been absolutely full of cold. Streaming nose, felt a bit rough. No temp and no cough until today. I've woken and feel alot better in myself but can feel the phlegm at the back of my throat and it's making me cough! Not horrendously, just a short cough. I've been awake an hour and coughed 3 times. The cold was caught from my nieces, who passed it onto my daughter, then to me. And now my husband and son are all extremely snotty too.
Isn't this the reason why there's no tests? Because technically I have a cough I should get tested but common sense says it's a cold. I just feel it's stupid to attempt to test in these circumstances. If I had a cough out of nowhere or a temp it would be different. Aibu to put the cough down to a cold?

The guy behind the Zoe app said that one of the prevalent symptoms that were always there alongside a positive covid diagnosis was headache and fatigue. I’m at the end of a standard cold and at no point have I felt unwell. I’ve felt symptomatic, but otherwise functional. So no need for a test.

This "dry cough only" thing is really damaging. If you have a continuous cough you should get a test and you and your family should isolate.

From the NHS:

a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

It says absolutely nothing about a dry, tickly cough. Any continuous cough whether dry or productive means you need to isolate and test.

I do feel a bit guilty but I also feel guilt over the thought of self diagnosing and merrily sending her off and getting it wrong. Damned if you do damned if you don’t.

You’re only “damned if you don’t” if you don’t test when you’ve got one a new, continuous cough.

People suddenly seem to think they’re Greg House master diagnostician when it comes to deciding whether their cough is Covid. It’s a bit worrying.

Though plenty of poster on MN who would have you take a test and SI because you display one SINGLE symptom of covid

That is the government advice.

@PurpleDaisies no, I'm not as it wasn't a persistent cough. It was occasional, need to clear my throat due to mucus build up cough. I can't afford to isolate every time I get a cold.

DS and I are the same. We've not bothered with a test as it's a cold. DS2 is wheezing a bit with the odd cough and I'm sure it's just an asthma flare up, so again no test.

@AllWashedOut

Our school has taken a very pragmatic approach to colds, thank goodness. Though plenty of poster on MN who would have you take a test and SI because you display one SINGLE symptom of covid (not taking into account the fact you are streaming with mucus and clearly have the common cold!).

Yes - because that's the official advice from the NHS:

If you have any of the main symptoms of coronavirus (COVID-19), get a test as soon as possible. Stay at home until you get the result.

ANY of the main symptoms. Not multiple symptoms. Any of them. As in, just one.

So why are you knocking people who are actually doing the right thing?

I'm not as it wasn't a persistent cough.

You wouldn’t have met the criteria to get a test anyway then.

There are other viruses available, yes. However the symptoms of CV19 are a cough and a temperature. Without a test you cannot categorically say that it’s not Covid.
My son (7) developed a cough. I was 99.9% certain it wasn’t Covid, but the guidelines say to isolate in this case (they’d not have let him in school anyway). It is a massive pain in the arse. I am a secondary teacher and so I had to be off school. It was massively stressful as I really want to be in school to teach my classes (all exam classes - I am the only teacher for one of the subjects) and so spent ages setting cover with voiceovers etc. I managed to get a test after 10 hours of trying every 10 mins. No surprise it came out negative.

If I had sent my son in, then the cough would spread further. That’s more children out of school and more parents who cannot work properly. It is massively inconvenient that the symptoms are so common but I felt it was my duty to do what I could to protect others. It MIGHT have been CV.
Properly organised mass testing will minimise time off for everyone and will reduce the spread of the virus. To blame people for getting tested is looking in the wrong direction.
Every parent (and most MPs are parents) will know that September always brings coughs and temperatures. They should have planned accordingly.
If you’ve only coughed to clear your throat then that’s not a continuous cough. However if your daughter had a cough then you should have been isolating anyway (apologies if you meant that your daughter caught a cold from your nieces - I wasn’t sure on this).

I’m the same, had a stinking cold and got a bit of a cough now due to the mucous, it’s not persistent or continuous though. I’ve not tested.

My daughter however yesterday developed a new continuous cough and hasn’t been ill so my husband took her to get tested last night.

Where does this idea that if it's a wet/productive cough it isn't Covid come from? Certainly not the NHS. Presumably people who have made up the rules because they don't want to isolate?

Thanks @AlexaShutUp

I’m not popular in our house at the moment (big ruiner of all fun that I am and DP is pissed off about staying in) but I’m not comfortable ignoring it and know it’s the right decision.

Where does this idea that if it's a wet/productive cough it isn't Covid come from?

I think it's something that was said at the beginning of the outbreak before we knew much about the virus. Then they stopped saying it because it wasn't right, but some people don't seem able to adapt their understanding of the guidance.

For similar reasons, there are still lots of people who believe that self isolation is for 7 days, even though it has been 10 for quite a while now, and 14 for family members.

With a new virus, I suppose it's inevitable that some of the early advice/information will be wrong. It's just a shame that people don't catch up a bit more quickly. I guess it suits some people to stick with the outdated info.

The WHO state a dry continuous cough. I think it has recently changed to "usually dry" but front he beginning they have written dry cough in their publications.

.... but mucous/runny nose is not, as far as I know, a symptom of covid. So if you're snotty and the snot is making your clear your throat a lot, doesn't common sense tell you it's not a covid cough?

@mrs2468

Do you have a dry persistent cough? If it’s a wet cough due to mucus etc then it’s cause of the cold not due to Covid

What on earth?

I'd say on balance you have a Cold.

A cold lasts a week if you treat it, and seven days if you don't.

So my Gran said;)..

My son and I have the same, snotty nose has turned to a cough. I'm sure it's a cold but we are getting tested today as otherwise I can't work next week and he can't go to school.

On the WHO list of symptoms it says 'a dry cough'.

@Justaboy

I'd say on balance you have a Cold.

A cold lasts a week if you treat it, and seven days if you don't.

So my Gran said;)..

My grandma used to say the same. Haha

doesn't common sense tell you it's not a covid cough

How can anyone use common sense when the descriptors of the cough are so vague? I’m using the rule that if I would refer to myself or someone else as having ‘a bit of a cough’ then it’s a cough. There’s been no definitive description of a distinctive COVID cough; it’s not like whooping cough or croup.

I think the discussion around mucus is misleading too. COVID is known to congest the lungs so what starts as a dry cough could easily become productive.

The most stand out symptom, sudden loss of taste and smell, doesn’t occur in all cases and we’re trying to catch it before people develop difficulties breathing.

@kitnkaboodle

.... but mucous/runny nose is not, as far as I know, a symptom of covid. So if you're snotty and the snot is making your clear your throat a lot, doesn't common sense tell you it's not a covid cough?

It's not the point. 111 are very clear, when you speak to them, that 3 or more episodes of coughing is 'continuous' and you must isolate.

I'm now in the situation where DD2 got ill, tested, then DD3 got ill, tested. Both results came back negative on the same day. Now, DD1 has a persistent cough. I have to phone the school tomorrow to find out if she can go, or whether they'll still expect her to isolate and get tested, despite the fact that she shares a room with DD3 and has the exact same symptoms.

I’m in the same boat. Had horrible cold which has become a cough. Not planning to test.

I have the same, I'm assuming the same. Very very occasional wet cough due to cold. Not fun if I ever have to cough outside of the house though!

My daughter and son have a cough due to a cold. It's part and parcel of a cold so I won't be getting them tested. I am coming down with a cold too ffs.