To go out with a cough (after testing negative)?

[MooseBreath]

12mo DS and I have a cough. We had PCR tests on Monday and have since received negative results. DS is allowed back at nursery and I am allowed back at work.

We went to the playground to go on the swings this morning and we received so many dirty looks from other parents. I overheard one mum tell her toddler to stay away from the swings (all 6 of them!) because she would get the virus. I didn't say anything because I was keeping my distance from people.

But honestly, it's a cold! Are we supposed to just stay inside with colds now? Because DS started nursery just over a month ago and is picking up every bug around. He's pretty much spent the first 11 months of his life hiding away - surely it's ok that we go out and about with a cold now? AIBU?

Yes, yes, I know this could go in the Covid topic, but it's literally about not having Covid.

So how is this woman supposed to know that you only have colds? And a cold for you might be a week off work or school for someone else. Completely selfish attitude. Considering what we have and are still going through you should be aware that not everyone has relaxed about this covid issue. Also, people have every right to be careful and weary. And you have every right to go out. Just don’t be surprised.

If they want to keep their distance and keep their families safe from your germs...

I am in the exact same situation but I work at a school.

I just ended up staying home and working from here as my manager and I decided it was easier than people streaming into his office saying 'I can hear Merry coughing in her office - is she alright?' all day.

Childminder is thankfully extremely sensible and is fine with it.

Other parents are not mind reader, how are they supposed to guess you have had a negative test? Of course they SHOULD teach their kids to stay well away from a coughing person .

It doesn't mean you have to stay inside at all, just be mindful.
Kids go to nursery and school every day with colds.

To be honest, if I was at the swings with ds and someone was coughing near them, I'd probably move ds away and we'd do something else. I would have no idea whether you had had a test or not and with ds having shielded for most of the year, it would seem a bit too risky

I completely understand that they don't want my germs. But we were keeping 2 meters away from everyone and we were outside. They are really unlikely to catch our cold from that far away outside. And with a toddler at nursery, we're effectively going to have a cold for the foreseeable future, so do I just lock us up?

I hate being treated as a pariah simply for deigning to have a cold. I find the thought of this being normalised really worrying.

Hi OP, same situation: it’s so tricky because I know we dont have Covid because of negative PCR but DS is getting everything at nursery and we seem to need to isolate and do PCRs every other week so if waited till we were totally healthy to go out in public we’d get one day of outings a month 😩 equally I feel terrible thinking that if people catch our cold they’ll have to isolate and then do PCRs. I’ve decided to compromise by avoiding indoor public places and loudly telling anyone tht will listen that we are Covid -ve when we are outside. Too make it worse DDs hay fever gives her a cough - portion helps a bit and school are ok about it but it’s when we’re out in public and she’s coughing that it’s horrid as she doesn’t even have a cold 😩

These people sound a bit thick, the virus is almost impossible to catch outside even if you did have it.

Ignore. Go where you like, you've done the test.

Maybe someone needs to market a badge that says "I've had a negative test, this is just a cold" lol.

I admit I would be wary of going near someone who is coughing due to the fact I read so many people saying they refuse to test or isolate. You cant know if a random person at the park is a responsible member of society or not.

But you also are perfectly at liberty to go out with a cold.

I mean YOU know you’ve tested negative but other people don’t! Of course you shouldn’t have to stay in but don’t be surprised if people swerve you if you’re coughing a lot!

I would move away from someone coughing too. Even if it is just a cold, I don't want a cold!

*piriton not portion!

My daughter gets coughs that last for weeks - we'd never go out! The whole point of testing is to be able to live a 'normal' life.

There are plenty of signs in my local park reminding people to wash/sanitise their hands after using equipment. Not everyone with Covid even gets a cough! If people are that concerned, they should live the lives if hermits not people who have been tested and cleared!

I wonder how it is for people with persistent coughs due to underlying health conditions like Asthma. Must get very tiresome!

Honestly if you're that ill you're coughing so much people are noticing then you shouldn't really be out spreading your germs around. I think it is a good thing that people are being a bit more careful now, hated the bloody martyrs who dragged themselves into the.office with a streaming cold making everyone else ill. Stay at he!

It's just one of those things, op. I have a chest condition that means I cough all the time. You have to manufacture a bit of stink eye teflon and get on with it.

I have hay-fever that tickles my throat and makes me cough. I'm forever apologising and explaining, it's crazy how scared some people are.
It's also worrying that some people are teaching children that it's normal to be scared everytime you leave the house.

I didn't wait for Covid to get my kids away from coughing people!
It's a pretty normal thing to do.

Having just had a cold that lasted a month and affected my asthma, I actually think it's sensible to avoid people who are coughing regardless of whether or not it's Covid.

I don't think touching communal surfaces (including swings) when you're throwing off viral droplets (even cold droplets) is very considerate as some people have poorer immune systems than others.

My dd always gets coughs when she gets a cold and they always last for weeks after so she would never be at school if we had to stay off till the cough had gone. We have experienced this a few times this year and you just have to ignore it.
My dd can be perfectly fine, full of energy etc but still coughing. It's just one of those things.

It's also worrying that some people are teaching children that it's normal to be scared everytime you leave the house.

It's common sense, it's not being "scared"

My own kids are at school, have just come back from holiday with no social distancing whatsoever (another thread entirely), I still teach them not to stay close to coughing or sick people. It's grim to catch anything.

Didn't wait for Covid to be strict on hand washing either!

I'm also always armed with my phone and the latest 'negative' message/email in case someone decides to be an arsehole.

I think its a tricky one. I've isolated us with coughs and a negative test but ds was expected back at school and he was well enough to go. His cough will be lingering for a good while (and he caught it from there in the first place)

YANBU

we used to cough to cover a fart.
now we need to fart to cover a cough.
it's bonkers

Alos I don't want to catch your non covid cough either, I can't afford to take days off waiting for a test result and isolating plus causing inconvenience to the families of the children I mind...so yes I would also move away from you.