Just got shouted at in a coffee shop for coughing in public 🥴

[wildgreyocean]

I know I’m not being unreasonable here but I just need some reassurance! I was in a coffee shop after popping to the shops and got a tickle in my throat. I’ve had a cold all week but nothing too severe. I coughed and next thing I know an old man is shouting at me that I’m being selfish and should be self isolating at home, and “don’t I know the NHS is on its knees?!”

AIBU to think this is a total overreaction to a cough?!

Again. I don’t have the flu. I have post nasal drip.

Or I could go about as normal because I’ve had a minor cold which has now gone!

Typhoid Mary and undertakers?

Fuck me, there are some very unhinged people on this thread. Even though the OP has detailed her medical issues and shared that a consultant who has been to med school and is a proper doctor with access to OP's medical history, has said she is not contagious. But oh no, MNetter with no information and a lack of reading comprehension ability knows better.

@wildgreyocean if you're anywhere near Glasgow let's meet up and go for a coffee. I don't care if you cough on/at/near me.

My asthma shows up as a cough throughout winter, it’s not contagious nor is it anything I would need to stay home for. There are lots of reasons that people cough, although anyone out knowing they’re still feeling less than 95% is unfair to be spreading it around- it’s not fair to others but especially those (like myself who are more susceptible at this time of year)but I would never shout at someone for it as not really my business.

I do not actively have a cold; Einstein.

Open a window!

Yes, that’s totally the same!

Good lord

Who gives a fuck. Sit on the roof.

He was rude. I see a lot of really sick children in the shops and school, running eyes, nose, coughing and spluttering without cover their mouth. It infuriates me because DS is immune compromised. I wouldn't say anything but do think they're selfish parents.

The world doesn’t revolve around people with bugs/colds/viruses who fancy a coffee either.

YANBU, but if he was old he is probably anxious especially thanks to the Covid bullshittery.

Folk on hair triggers about the super flu

You seem lovely.

I guess this is why so many on here loved Covid. It meant they had an excuse to sit in bed for months on end with no repercussions.

it may horrify some people on here but tomorrow I’ll be heading for a long, long walk. And maybe get a coffee on the way home!

This thread is amazing 😂😂😂

if you have a contagious illness then try not to knowingly spread it to people unless you absolutely have to, or spread it but own the fact that you’re being selfish so don’t try to also claim to be doing society a favour.

if you’re not contagious then you can’t spread it so your fine. it’s not complicated.

why did you say youve had a cold all week if you didn’t want people to think you have a cold? why, when someone said you sound like you’re still harbouring a cold, did you push back because you don’t want to be cooped up at home, rather than push back by saying you don’t actually have a cold?

Your story has changed because you are bizarrely invested in not being seen as doing a bad thing.

Because I’ve not done a bad thing 😂

I had a cold back in the first week of November and I'm still coughing. Doctor said I'm not contagious and that I have rhinitis. This usually lasts for months with me.

Sometimes my coughing is due to GORD and takes ages to improve.

“I’ve had a cold all week” you can’t even remember what you’ve said in the OP.

As in, past tense.

So I’ve had a cold for 3 weeks. Like most colds since I was 40, my dainty coughs are at start of cold (or Covid for that matter ) when my throat is sore. This is the “dry cough” phase, which is when the throat is inflamed, and upper respiratory tract infected. This is when you spread droplets of aerosol when coughing that actually do the infection spreading. Along with sneezing, and dribbling nose.

my big all out lung wracking “smokers/TB” coughs come much later, and is still going, two weeks after infection when all that mucus is still being produced and is commonly referred to as a “productive cough”. It is clearing outer lower ariway build up of mucus. Hence why it’s worse lying down. It sounds impressive. But not typically infectious any more . It’ll be another 2-3 weeks typically before it finally disappears . Which is normal for me. I also have asthma at times, which doesn’t help with spectacularly sounding coughs.

so, you simply cannot judge based on noise someone makes when coughing. Productive coughs will often continue weeks (3-4) after someone has stopped being infectious to others .

dainty coughs are far more likely to be the stage when the upper respiratory tract is infectious and nicely shedding virus load to you sat there thinking it’s all ok as it’s so politely done.

Blimey

I coughed. Once.