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Original poster

What would you do

32 replies

Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 05:01

DS 15 has a hacking cough. I can hear him from here. We phoned 111 yesterday, told them symptoms (cough, sore throat, runny nose) and that his girlfriend and family was in Singapore all half term.

No need for testing and can go to school if well enough.

My job involves visiting very old people at home, not for care but other reasons. Though I am a HCP. I've not got visits today, but I have Thursday and Friday.

What would you do?

OP posts:
sittingonacornflake · 11/03/2020 05:04

I'd follow 111 advice personally. It's a scary time but this time of year this is a lot of random illnesses going round. Just wash hands religiously.

loopylindazdaughter · 11/03/2020 05:05

Wtf - why aren't they testing??

Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 05:08

loopylindazdaughter
He's not travelled or been in contact with a confirmed case. That's current criteria.

OP posts:
Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 05:42

God. I've been up since 4am worrying.

I'm keeping him home today and cancelling my visit tomorrow to have a think.

I don't want to be a panicking person but things don't feel quite right.

OP posts:
saturdaymorning · 11/03/2020 05:48

Thank you for doing the right thing. The NHS should be testing, I would ring them back. You as a mother know yourself something isn't right.

Let us know how he is xx

Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 06:04

111 advice was to call GP within 24hrs, so I'll do that. (I'm not clear why that was the advice but it was.)

OP posts:
StealthMama · 11/03/2020 06:05

Have you checked his temp and are any of his girlfriends family unwell? When did they get back from Singapore?

MrsP2015 · 11/03/2020 06:05

I think you're doing the right thing for now, go with your gut feeling of caution.

Many people can be infected/ carry but not show any symptoms.

A distant friends dad believes he had CV afew weeks ago (before the official news of it all) he was really ill with what he believed was flu - he had been to an infected country. He stayed at home in bed and recovered.

Shame more ppl aren't like you.
Well done op.

StillNotANewUser · 11/03/2020 06:09

Runny nose isn't a symptom, and I'm guessing he doesn't have a fever else you'd have mentioned it.

He's got a cold, not coronavirus. Personally I think you're panicking and massively overreacting, not doing the right thing. If every HCP who has been in contact with someone with a cold stops coming to work the entire system will collapse. And I say that as someone with a young baby and a DH who works with patients awaiting test results for covid-19. Just take the same robust hygiene precautions you always do and go to work.

Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 06:11

He's not got a temp.

GF and some of her family back just over 2 weeks ago, rest of family back last weekend. He's been with GF at home and school.

He's going to be furious if I keep him home more than a day because GCSEs. They're still obviously piling the pressure on and planning extra classes for next week...

Does anyone think the rules/government advice is going to be changing this week?

OP posts:
MrsKingfisher · 11/03/2020 06:15

This is useful information.

What would you do
Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 06:15

StillNotANewUser
Yeah, you're probably right.
I'm still keeping him home today to keep an eye on the rotten cough, and cancelling my visit tomorrow as I won't have prepped for it today.
Don't worry though, mine is non-urgent clinical work. I'm ready to down tools and return to acute care should it be necessary. Moral duty and all that...

OP posts:
piscis · 11/03/2020 06:16

A runny nose is not a symptom of coronavirus

Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 06:16

MrsKingfisher

That's great, thanks

OP posts:
kevintheorangecarrot · 11/03/2020 06:19

Handy to know that having a runny nose and sneezing is not a sign of coronavirus (or very rarely). As I just had a letter from the school saying if my child has cold symptoms then he has to stay at home for a few days Shock he always gets a bloody cold!

StillNotANewUser · 11/03/2020 06:21

I take it the girlfriend and her family don't have symptoms either?

Just for perspective. His girlfriend or one of the family would have had to have caught it in Singapore (unlikely) not shown any symptoms (uncommon), been one of the people who spread it despite not being symptomatic (unusual), and he then comes down with an extremely atypical presentation where he doesn't have the defining symptom of a fever. There is a reason that most border screening etc is done by measuring temperature!

There's no way I'd risk him missing useful GCSE work over this level of "what if".

Tartan333 · 11/03/2020 06:21

The NHS advice leaflet for coronavirus stated runny nose as a symptom when all this first came out

saturdaymorning · 11/03/2020 06:21

He's got a cold, not coronavirus. Personally I think you're panicking and massively overreacting, not doing the right thing.

How do you know? Are you a health professional and even if you were how could you possibly be certain without an examination.

OP you are doing the right thing, trust your instincts.

GoodbyePorpoiseSpit · 11/03/2020 06:22

That chart says that headaches are ‘rare’ with a cold Confused

SabineSchmetterling · 11/03/2020 06:29

I have all the symptoms. A really severe dry cough, temperature and chest pain but without any nasal congestion like you’d typically get with a cold. 111 say no need to self isolate and so I went to work yesterday and then felt increasingly awful. I went home and won’t go into work today but I’m a bit confused as to why they aren’t testing people with symptoms unless they’ve been to affected areas even though we know from the tests on those in intensive care that we’ve had community transmission. Apparently they will test you if you’re a Tory health minister, even if you’ve had no contact with known cases and haven’t travelled to an affected area though. Now that Nadine Dorries has tested positive I assume plenty of government ministers will now be tested too.

StealthMama · 11/03/2020 06:40

Temperature is key with corona given it's a virus if symptoms are showing. A day of rest he'll probably feel much brighter tomo anyway. No point feeling naff at school.

Zacharyezrarawlings · 11/03/2020 06:44

in truth - I suspect the reason they are not testing more widely is 1. they havent got enough test kits/staff to do the tests 2. if they did the number of confrimed cased would increase massively which would mean having to take more drastic measures, plus they are worried the nhs wouldnt cope with the numbers of people then seeking medical attention (which it wouldnt.)

Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 06:45

I wonder if they'll start taking it seriously now Dorries has it.

I thought kids could be asymptomatic or have a v mild version? He could well have had a temp but it's passed? I dunno, and I don't think anyone does really.

He's staying home today anyway, as am I. No one will die cos I'm not on an admin day in the office.

He looked proper rubbish when I went to see him, then I remembered he's 15 and it was 6am...

OP posts:
Original poster
Inarticulated · 11/03/2020 06:46

Also get well soon Sabine Flowers

OP posts:
StealthMama · 11/03/2020 06:49

He looked proper rubbish when I went to see him, then I remembered he's 15 and it was 6am...

😂😂

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