What exactly is a "new persistent cough"?

[sluj]

The definition of a persistent cough is one you have had for a while and won't go away. If that's the case, how can it be a "new" cough?
I'm expecting some confusion at work tomorrow about who should self isolate on this basis

@OneStepOneStumble a lot of universities are now allowing international students to leave. They should be understanding if you tell them you’ve been put into isolation.

111 told me tonight that neither Ds who has had a sore throat and constant cough for 3 weeks now witha mild headache a few days ago or I who has had a sore throat and dry cough with asthma flare up, need to self isolate but Ds needs to see a GP.

The problem is, this is one thread where people have been interested enough to post about Corona. There is clear confusion here so more broadly, lots of people won’t have the foggiest. The NHS website just says fever. If that’s the approach, you are close to effectively closing nurseries but without any social or economic support for parents.

DC1 has had a cough for about 4 weeks, occasional coughing throughout the day. Close family member with virus couldn't make it through a sentence without coughing.

I've been looking into this as daughters have a cough. Guidance clearly says you need to isolate for 7 days from onset of symptoms, not from today when it was announced. After that, as long as no temp and you are generally better, you can go back to work/school etc. This applies even if you are still coughing apparently as this can last a while and doesn't mean you are contagious. So DD1 can go to school as 7 days in, DD2 can't as only 3 days in (or that is how i understand it!). hth

My DS has had a cough for about 2 weeks now. I have absolutely no idea what I've to do about him?

It really isn't clear.

Morgan - see bottom of page here. Appears fine if >7 days
www.gov.uk/government/publications/covid-19-stay-at-home-guidance/stay-at-home-guidance-for-people-with-confirmed-or-possible-coronavirus-covid-19-infection

If this advice had come last week I'd have had to have SI for the last 7 days as I had a temp on Mon and Tues and a new, persisten cough that I hadn't had before.

As it was, I knew it was exceptionally unlikely to be CV at that point and dragged my sorry ass into work, being as careful with hygeine as possible.

I'd take it as a cough that has just come on over the past few days when, as opposed to something that you've had for weeks (as by the time weeks had passed, you'd probably know if it was coronavirus or just a cough) and it is persistent, so coughing every few minutes as opposed to coughing 2 times a day to get rid of a tickle in your throat.

I've had a bit of a cough but it's gotten noticeably worse today along with a headache, and is continuous. Baby has been coughing for a few days but not consistently.
I'm confused whether to self isolate or not

My cold/cough started last sunday. I went about usual business and work on sunday, monday and Tuesday and then have been at home since wednesday. Going by the link that @river1 posted, it sounds like I can come out of isolation this sunday if I'm feeling better? I had previously thought my isolation period should last until tuesday (7 days from when I stopped going to work).

@ButYouAreInfactAMoron Yes

Dippy I read something earlier from a medical expert on contagious disease (think Japanese but could have misremembered).
He was saying same about holding breath. He's advised evening take a deep breath all the way in, hold for 10 secs and release. Of no cough or pain then you're ok.

Lowca- even though I've had a cough for a while?

I accepted a delivery earlier today... I don't think I'd noticed it properly at that point. Not sure whether to email the company that delivered the parcel or that might be too far!

Is "a while" more than a week, or last few days?

@AutumnLeavesSeptember

Once in a century? What about sars, and swine flu?

I've had it for several weeks (it was mild so haven't done anything about it) but it's gotten quite a bit worse today which is why I'm concerned

The challenge is, in children specifically, it seems like COVID 19 and the common garden cold are indistinguishable. Even adults with confirmed CV have reportedly had a mild tickly cough, others have obviously had it worse but it’s a spectrum.

Why not just err on the side of caution?

Why not just err on the side of caution?

If it was about genuinely being unsure then yes. However, my 11m old hasn’t gone a single 2 week period since September without a fever. Taking a week off for each fever is going to push some people over the edge with their employees and that’s without having the virus themselves.

My little girl had a fever last week, no cough whatsoever but was complaining of headaches, and aches and pains. I kept her of school not because thought had covid 19 (as no cough) but now with this new advise she would have had to self isolate for 7 days as now saying cough might not be present. She wasn't out the door for 5 and half days so hopefully wasn't anything sinister

Once in a century? What about sars, and swine flu?

Was that the SARS with fewer than 10,000 cases and under 800 deaths?

Or the swine flu with a mortality rate well under 0.1% (and perhaps as low as 0.01%)?

This thread is quite terrifying.

I have developed a head cold today, sore throat and achy neck. No cough, although asthmatic, so cough quite a bit anyway. No fever, temp completely normal. I'm not sure whether I should go to work tomorrow, as I normally would, for a cold.

If your child has a fever or a cough they need to stay home. Yes it's a pain, but it'll be much more of a pain if they close all schools and nurseries. People are going to die from this so it's just not good enough to say oh it's probably teething.

From NHS Inform x

I am confused too. I have been poorly for almost two weeks now. Had a bad throat and have my whole body aching. I felt weak and feverish but no actual fever as I rarely get fever, it never comes out. I am just about to getting better but I am worried that if I had the virus I might have passed it on to loads of people.