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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Shop assistant coughing

174 replies

NameChangeAgain2 · 06/11/2020 20:56

I've just been to the local one shop stop to get milk (missing from our supermarket delivery). The shop assistant, wearing her mask on her chin, burst into a coughing fit half way through scanning. She turned away and drank some water then pulled her mask up before turning back and told me 'it's not Corona, people have been asking all day, I'm just full of a cold'. She looked really sweaty.

I'm so upset. I'm shielding a relative and haven't been to the local shop since February.

Aibu to think she shouldn't be at work if she's coughing all over the place to the point people have been asking her is if she has the virus all day? I have no idea if she's had a test, she might just be assuming it's a cold. We've been so careful. I want to phone the shop and ask if she's had a test, if not I still have chance to leave the house now before possibly getting sick and passing it on to the shielding relative. I also want to complain that they were wearing their masks on their chins. What's the point that isn't helping anything!

OP posts:

Curlygirl06 · 07/11/2020 17:23

@withlotsoflove

YOU DO NOT HAVE TO WEAR A MASK IF YOU ARE BEHIND A SCREEN! IF YOU LEAVE YOUR POSITION FROM BEHIND THE SCREEN / YOU MUST POP ON YOUR MASK! for those still insisting you must wear one at all times! 🤦‍♀️

I’m sick of the general public dictating what retail workers should:shouldn’t do!
If you can’t face the shops... stay the fuck at home. At least that’s one less person we have to worry about that could contaminate us!

This!

Fellow shop worker here.

Comefromaway · 07/11/2020 17:28

YANBU

Someone at my workplace with just had a “chest infection”, not Covid.

But he failed a temperature check so went for a test so he could be allowed back on site.

Guess what, he was positive.

LolaSmiles · 07/11/2020 18:20

Someone at my workplace with just had a “chest infection”, not Covid.

But he failed a temperature check so went for a test so he could be allowed back on site.

Guess what, he was positive.

Cool story, and I agree he was wrong, just a shame that has nothing to do with a retail worker at work when they were ALLOWED to be there.

Guess what, joe blogs still isn't able to be judge, jury and executioner on strangers.

Serin · 07/11/2020 18:22

When I had covid, I had no sign of a cough but sneezed all the time and for all the world, I thought it was just a cold.

LolaSmiles · 07/11/2020 18:36

Serin
That's unfortunate, but you were right because a sneeze isn't listed as one of the symptoms to get tested.

I'm sure if we let a group of mumsnetters with zero clinical or scientific background run the show they'd be telling everyone to test for the slightest ache, sneeze or invented symptom that changes weekly, whilst also starting angry threads about awful their life is now the corner shop is closed and their DC's school/nursery doesn't have enough staff.

mumsiedarlingrevolta · 07/11/2020 21:23

My household is participating in a test trial. we get tested weekly.
I felt a bit like I had a cold last week (which I might have)
but no obvious covid symptoms.
I just tested positive.

SomeSmotheringDreams · 08/11/2020 00:57

@LolaSmiles

Serin That's unfortunate, but you were right because a sneeze isn't listed as one of the symptoms to get tested.

Thing is, having a scientific or clinical background is of no advantage whatsoever when you're trying to work out whether your symptoms might or might not be covid. Four of my family members, including me, have all tested positive. There was very little commonality in our initial symptoms. And in fact even as the illness progressed, we all had very different experiences.

bumblingbovine49 · 08/11/2020 01:09

The people in here who ' know ' they have a cold need to share their secret with the rest of the world They are being incredibly selfish in keeping to themselves this very useful information of how to differentiate between a cold cough and a Covid one. Since no medical professional can do this without a test, the posters who can do this must share their wonderful scientific discovery with the world, don't they know there is a pandemic on?, the world needs their insight.

AwaAnBileYerHeid · 08/11/2020 04:27

How are people saying OP is being unreasonable!???? It is mandatory to wear masks and this woman had it on her chin when she knows she has a cough! The whole point in the masks is to cath any coughs/sneezes/ spitting when talking etc and se blatantly coughed all over the place!! OP said she looked sweaty -i bet she hasnt been tested... and anyone saying "she shouldn't have to wear a mask if shes so ill with a cold because she wont be able to breathe" well she shouldn't be in work then! Its disgraceful and yes phone the shop and report it .. ask is she had a test

If OP is being careful, why on earth is she going to a shop where the assistant isn't behind perspex screen? Does no-one take personal responsibility anymore?

Because people need to eat. They need food. They may be unable to get a delivery for when they need it, they may have run out of a couple of things that they need, therefore they need to go to the shops. It's nothing to do with personal responsibility. It's to do with the fact that a person should be able to nip to the shops (while taking all reasonable themselves, to keep themselves and others safe) and trust that other people will also act responsibly. There is such a thing as personal responsibility, which I am a massive proponent of. However personal responsibility doesn't come into this scenario.

Idunnoyou · 08/11/2020 04:42

No she shouldn't be at work but I once got sacked for turning up to work when I had a cough and wanted to leave to go doctors.

Next day was told not to come back

Rosebel · 08/11/2020 08:07

A cough from Covid can linger for weeks or even months. Are people seriously suggesting that retail staff take months off work and loose their jobs? I'm sure you'd have something to say when all the supermarkets were shut.
Although retail staff are always considered scum by customers. They must accept abuse and smile while being accused of putting the public at risk.
Can you tell what I do for a job?

MrsMomoa · 08/11/2020 08:27

People are getting hysterical about a cough!
That is unreasonable.
It's going to be a long, long winter for some if they're going to lose their shit every time someone coughs ffs.
People really need to gain some perspective.

year5teacher · 08/11/2020 08:54

I think the thing that explains why this was such a big thing for you is that you haven’t been to the local shop since February. You haven’t been exposed to this kind of thing yet and been fine to reassure yourself. You’re still operating in the March mentality of feeling everything is a threat.
I’ve had this kind of thing happen multiple times and I’ve never got ill yet so I sort of have that to refer to whereas you still have the narrative that it’s all really dangerous.
Honestly the likelihood is you’ll be absolutely fine and I think phoning the store is a bit far. It’s not that likely they would be allowing her in work if she hadn’t had a test. The fact that you’re living with a shielding relative makes it a bit different so of course if you’re going to worry for two weeks then just phone to ask but bear in mind they have no obligation to tell you, and probably won’t.

RattleOfBars · 08/11/2020 09:08

She could have already tested negative, or have the chesty cough you get with a cold. Or be prone to asthmatic cough, bronchitis when she has a cold.

I wouldn’t worry too much, presumably you were wearing a mask and standing a good 2m away?

LolaSmiles · 08/11/2020 10:36

Thing is, having a scientific or clinical background is of no advantage whatsoever when you're trying to work out whether your symptoms might or might not be covid. Four of my family members, including me, have all tested positive. There was very little commonality in our initial symptoms. And in fact even as the illness progressed, we all had very different experiences
I agree a scientific background doesn't help someone judge if they have covid.

I was more musing over the fact that on here there's so many mumsnetters who probably have zero medical background deciding they know more about what requires a test/who should or shouldn't be at work to the point of inventing rules and symptoms. Those folk would inevitably be demanding testing for anything below 95% wellness and then also starting threads complaining if and when their lives are impacted.

NailsNeedDoing · 08/11/2020 10:43

She probably shouldn’t have been at work even though she felt well enough because of people being so paranoid right now. But the problem is that people will continue to go to work unless there is an automatic guarantee of wages being paid for anyone who chooses to self isolate. Of curse that won’t happen because it’s too open to abuse, so this is the situation we have.

We can’t expect people to give up wages they need for the sake of a cold. Blame the government for the system they have set up, not shop assistants who are just trying to earn a living.

Curlygirl06 · 08/11/2020 10:56

@Rosebel

A cough from Covid can linger for weeks or even months. Are people seriously suggesting that retail staff take months off work and loose their jobs? I'm sure you'd have something to say when all the supermarkets were shut. Although retail staff are always considered scum by customers. They must accept abuse and smile while being accused of putting the public at risk. Can you tell what I do for a job?

I hear you sister!

RealBecca · 08/11/2020 11:19

Yabu, if shes had a test and its clear she osnt going to get paid to stay at home.

LolaSmiles · 08/11/2020 11:21

She probably shouldn’t have been at work even though she felt well enough because of people being so paranoid right now.
She had symptoms, got tested and followed the rules. She was allowed to be back at work.

How have we gone from 'people should follow the rules' to 'everyone in society should not just follow the rules but live their lives in a way that doesn't trigger the paranoid'?

caringcarer · 08/11/2020 12:16

Just wonder who gives people an exemption from wearing a mask? Does anyone know, is it their GP? If so they should be given a badge or something to wear as I see gangs of teens and so many others and none of them wearing a mask and think they can't all be exempt.

PoprocksAndCoke · 08/11/2020 12:21

@NameChangeAgain2

It wasn't at face level, the whole shopping area was cut out. If they didn't have to wear masks why bother wearing them on their chins?

In my job, behind a screen I don't need to wear a mask. If I leave the screen for any reason I have to wear a mask (ie toilet visit, to go to my locker or work area) so she would have had to wear the mask to walk to her till and then back to the staff room but not whilst behind the screen.

hardboiledeggs · 08/11/2020 12:27

I cough everytime I've eaten due to a stomach condition. I'd never make it into work If i stayed off everytime it happened. She could have had a test and been negative so knew it was a cold. Wearing a mask for a long period of time also dries my throat and makes me cough from time to time.

DrCoconut · 08/11/2020 12:30

I have a lingering cough which is probably making people nervous on the school run. But I had a test (111 recommendation) and I don't have COVID.

LolaSmiles · 08/11/2020 13:11

DrCoconut
I had a lingering cough and after a negative test went back to work.

I have no doubt some Mumsnetters would be furious at me for going back to school, but equally furious if their child had a supply teacher for 4 weeks whilst I stayed at home waiting for the cough to go.

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