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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Colleague started coughing and sniffling halfway through the day but just sat there

496 replies

JesusIsAnyNameFree · 28/10/2021 17:27

This isn't a guy who has allergies or anything, it just came on all of a sudden.
I legged it after an hour or two of his random coughs and sniffles. AIBU here or should he have buggered off to WFH after the 3rd or 4th cough? Fun, the wait begins!

OP posts:
insatiableme · 29/10/2021 22:13

It's crazy how so many people still don't get it and state it's just a cold. I know someone who claimed their Covid was just a cold recently and infected another 13 people in her office. And what people need to remember it may not affect you but the vulnerable you come into contact with. Ffs ja test takes 24hrs to come back

IAteTheLastOne · 29/10/2021 22:15

@JesusIsAnyNameFree

OP. I have no idea why what you have said has stirred such a hornets nest

I've been quite the moody cow 😂 I'm pretty sure if they had a stressful job, a 3 year old and another on the way, they wouldn't be quite so blasé about someone sitting next to them with a cough. Not that they would ever admit to such a thing, of course.

I hope you recover soonFlowers Other than possible death, what I fear most is not being able to taste chocolate. I hear horror stories of people with no sense of taste after weeks or even months!

I have a 3 year old, and I’m 21 weeks pregnant. Have been highly amused reading this thread, I work in a school where you know, children.

Perhaps if you were so bothered that you required validation from us out of tune, unintelligent folk of mumsnet, you ought to have outright said something to him face to face. Instead of popping on here and insulting everyone that dared to disagree with you.

Sort your shit out, I bet people will rejoice if you’re not at that meeting.

Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 29/10/2021 22:17

@IAteTheLastOne

Well, I'm more pregnant than you, if we are competing.

I did say something, as you can see if you read my responses.

What meeting?

OP posts:
Pumperthepumper · 29/10/2021 22:19

[quote niugboo]@Pumperthepumper you’ve not understood the law. If you weren’t exempt from wearing a mask and chose not to wear one you were breaking the law. You could have been prosecuted if they didn’t believe you. Getting away with breaking the law doesn’t mean you didn’t break it.[/quote]
I understand the law perfectly. You didn’t want to wear a mask in the office, but were more than happy to wear one in supermarkets because it didn’t occur to you to say - for the fifteen minutes you were in - that you were exempt.

Ddot · 29/10/2021 22:30

Everyone should be testing themselves twice a week. If not why not! Dont be so god damn selfish. You don't know if you have it, you dont know if it's a cold, so test test test. And before you have a go, yes I do know what I'm talking about thankyou.

BlackeyedSusan · 29/10/2021 22:36

gosh op, one would think that we have the highest recorded number of cases since they started recording them...

and there have been no reports recently that being vaccinated does not prevent you passing on covid.

Drivingslowtosavefuel · 29/10/2021 22:46

I am with you, OP. This British habit of coming into the office and spreading coughs and colds around just makes winter a never ending misery for those of us with poor immune systems who catch everything. My best 3 winters have been while on maternity leave; while working at home during covid and while recovering from an operation working at home - because I was completely free from minor but incessant illnesses. The quality of life was amazing. Not all jobs can be done from home obviously but more companies where people can should encourage people to keep their germs to themselves at home. How much more pleasant it would be for us all, covid or no covid.

ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHaands · 29/10/2021 22:59

Don’t you have LFTs handy? I thought all work places had them now. And most staff had to routinely test?

Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 29/10/2021 23:11

@ShinyHappyPeopleHoldingHaands

Don’t you have LFTs handy? I thought all work places had them now. And most staff had to routinely test?
Nope. It's "encouraged".
OP posts:
niugboo · 29/10/2021 23:11

@Pumperthepumper again you’re confusing me with someone else. I have warn a mask consistently as required by the law. I haven’t claimed to be exempt in any setting because I am not.

Sadbri · 29/10/2021 23:37

I mean he may have had a dry throat with the weather changing. I was at soft play the other day and out of nowhere begun coughing like a maniac. Could not stop this cough. Ended up drinking a huge glass of water to keep it at bay. Soon as I left the soft play and was home was fine and been fine since. 🤷‍♀️ Not everything leads to Covid.

Axcis · 30/10/2021 00:15

Not that it matters but I've just got over Covid. My symptoms were headache, runny nose, bad sinuses and body aches. Started over the weekend thankfully. However, I tested, like I encourage everyone to do. My lft was positive on day 3. Then I did pcr test.
The "covid" symptoms started on day 8. I could've infected my whole school in that week!
So I encourage enyone with any symptoms to test. Just in case you can save a life.

Inanun2 · 30/10/2021 00:24

@Axcis

Not that it matters but I've just got over Covid. My symptoms were headache, runny nose, bad sinuses and body aches. Started over the weekend thankfully. However, I tested, like I encourage everyone to do. My lft was positive on day 3. Then I did pcr test. The "covid" symptoms started on day 8. I could've infected my whole school in that week! So I encourage enyone with any symptoms to test. Just in case you can save a life.
I agree but some people just do not want to know - the sceptics and I’m all right jack people. I have had a month of stress and worry as a close family member has been hospitalised with COVID for nearly 3 weeks, I would not wish it on anyone. It is very sad and an indictment on society that some people just do not care if it doesn’t affect them :(
Vivana · 30/10/2021 04:40

Get a grip ffs.

TheChiefJo · 30/10/2021 05:07

[quote JesusIsAnyNameFree]@IAteTheLastOne

Well, I'm more pregnant than you, if we are competing.

I did say something, as you can see if you read my responses.

What meeting?[/quote]
The one you said you were in:

"I was in a teams meeting. I couldn't talk to anyone. Even if I could, my LM is in France. He had already left for the day when I started thinking it wasn't that harmless."

Burgess67A · 30/10/2021 05:24

I agree he should have gone home. People shouldn’t be bringing germs to work and spreading it about !

Original poster
JesusIsAnyNameFree · 30/10/2021 05:35

@TheChiefJo

No, can't be that seeing as that's already happened.
'I bet people will rejoice if you’re not at that meeting' clearly refers to a future meeting.

OP posts:
rrhuth · 30/10/2021 05:36

@Vivana

Get a grip ffs.
Yes, because 'getting a grip' is very effective at preventing transmission Hmm

Why do people persist in treating covid as an emotional issue? It is not a made up thing, will power and stiff upper lip won't help here.

connffussed · 30/10/2021 05:46

Yabu

I've got a rotten virus and had it for about 3 weeks now. I've been tested several times during that time when symptoms have changed and as of two days ago I'm still negative.

It's just a terrible cold/viral thing.

Every so often I have a coughing fit or a period of coughing when I get a tickle or crap loosens on my chest.

If someone heard my coughing and suggested I bugger off home they'd get short shrift from me.

Not every cough is covid, and people can't hide away or hang around waiting for test results after every minor thing.

Offmyfence · 30/10/2021 05:51

[quote JesusIsAnyNameFree]@generalh

Yes, and if my new fave person Anton had anything like that, I would have known and would have thought absolutely nothing of it.
The guy the other side of me coughs daily. He is asthmatic. It doesn't worry me, though at some point it could be covid and probably will be.

However, by that point I'm probably not pregnant anymore or right in the middle of completing a project that is delayed and has seen everyone's annual leave cancelled already.[/quote]
Cancelled annual leave? No wonder people are being bitchy about work colleagues coughing!

I'd be getting a new job TBH!

Ddot · 30/10/2021 07:06

I get allergies in winter (mold off leaves) so cough and sniff alot. I will still take my two tests a week just incase. Why would I risk my family and friends. Two members of my extended family are now dead due to not taking it seriously. I'm fed up of this I'm ok attitude, when did people get so selfish, I foolishly thought covid would bring out the best in people make us a better caring country, wow was I wrong. It's very sad

dizzydizzydizzy · 30/10/2021 07:28

OP I think you should just discuss it with him.

To give you an opposite point of view from my DDs perspective. She was thrown out of a university class for coughing but felt so embarrassed that she didn't have the presence of mind to say she had done numerous negative COVID tests and she has had asthma which makes her cough.

IAteTheLastOne · 30/10/2021 08:24

This reply has been deleted

Message deleted by MNHQ. Here's a link to our Talk guidelines.

TeamRick · 30/10/2021 08:27

I don't think you are being unreasonable.
We've all been wfh on & off for the past 18 months it's no hardship to stay at home for a few days if you have a cold.
My office are actively sending people home for coughing even with twice weekly LFT's and I for one am pleased about that!
I've just had COVID, had a course of antibiotics and steroids - the last thing I need at the moment is another virus!

Suspiciousmind20 · 30/10/2021 09:55

connffussed

I've got a rotten virus and had it for about 3 weeks now. I've been tested several times during that time when symptoms have changed and as of two days ago I'm still negative.

If someone heard my coughing and suggested I bugger off home they'd get short shrift from me.

Not every cough is covid, and people can't hide away or hang around waiting for test results after every minor thing.

So are you saying you are actively spreading this rotten and terrible virus around and if anyone asked you not to, they would be in the wrong?

Yes, of course not every virus virus is Covid. But you can’t tell without testing. The OPs colleague should have gone home and tested rather than sitting in an office coughing. Yes people can hang around at home, and wait to see if the cough is Covid. Especially if they can work from home like the man in the OP.