"new" cough OR fever - this is not hard

[BlingLoving]

Honestly, for once the advice is actually pretty clear. If you have a new persistent cough and/or a fever, stay home. I am really struggling at the people on SM, here etc who are asking, "I've woken up with a cough but I feel fine, the advice is so confusing, does this mean I should self isolate."

I honestly worry that such simple instructions are hard for people and assume we'll see it all spreading so much more quickly as people keep themselves home for a runny nose but don't bother with a mild cough.

The word “continuous” has confused me. Continuous to me implies constant. My son has woken up with a slight cough. I have had a panic etc. I’ve kept him off but it has made me anxious the do I don’t i etc. Why haven’t they just said a cough?

I don't think that you're being unreasonable, but I do think the advice should have been, to cover all bases, ANY mild cold/flu like symptoms, not just the ones that could mimic coronavirus - just so people are sure.

Because you might cough once to clear your throat. Or you might cough because a drink goes down the wrong way. Some people are very literal.

The point is that they want people who are coughing for more than just to clear their throats to self isolate. I honestly don't find that confusing at all.

I also don't think that all cold/flu like symptoms need to be included right now - they've made it clear that a runny nose/sneezing is not really a feature of coronavirus so self isolating for that is pointless.

My boys came down with a sniffle and cough yesterday. Preschool have asked any new cough to stay home, as per guidelines. So we're home. It's not difficult advice. I don't think they have CV but we do need to take some social responsibility.

That said, I know someone who travelled home from italy and got poorly 2 weeks later. She was told she's ok as she was outside of the date for isolation from Italy. She has more CV symptoms than my boys but isn't isolating whereas we are because my two got sick a little later. The guidance is more than a little insufficient

It's also not hard to post in the specific board for Coronavirus.

I agree. I despair that people seem unable to interpret instructions. Surely if there is doubt it's better to err on the side of caution?

I think a lot of people think "well, they don't mean me! I've got a bit of a cough, but I need to take the kids to school, then do a food shop, then if it gets worse, I'll be prepared."

98% of people who get it are fine (the news reports seem to emphasise that of the fatalities, most were over 60yrs and/or had underlying, preexisting health conditions) so if people are young, fit and healthy I don't think they think about the other people that they are putting at risk by coming into contact with them.

Well how long have you to be coughing for ? It wasn't very clear i had a cough for 2 days it was intermitent but ive not coughed today yet so should I stay home? Weare being bombarded with rolling news people are maybe confused because there is to much information !

Not sure it's so bad it people double check? At least they're taking it seriously? So if people are asking questions and following advice that's good surely? Obviously if people are saying "I've been coughing all night since midnight and have a temperature but I'm powering on through!" is not good. But even though hopefully people will reply "stay at home!!!!"

You are right tobee nothing wrong with seeking a bit of clarification and reasurance. Nobody wants to pass on this virus.

@tobee but double checking with strangers on the internet who aren't there to see your symptoms? Surely the only answer anyone can and should give is to follow guidance

I'm genuinely confused. How new is new? What exactly does continuous mean? I think the advice needs to be more specific,that kind of language seems to vague for me. I have a cough that started about a week ago and isn't better yet, so is that new or continuous?

Someone in my family has had a cough since 1 week after school started in September. We've all had coughs since before half term - of the snot drip need to cough it up variety.

I'm just checking temperatures daily because there is no way we'd spot a new cough among the snotty mess we have been since DC1 started school...

DH would probably be quite vulnerable to Covid-19 for his age as he had Hodgkin's lymphoma in his lungs 4 years ago and definitely has some scarring - but is fit and has an outdoor job.

Thing is though, it obviously is not completely clear to many people. There are tons of threads on here by people who are not sure what to do. Does a cold count? Does a runny nose count? People are unsure.

That's the government's problem. They need to do better than one web page with very minimal text on it, or people are going to go out when they shouldn't, or do the opposite.

If people are unclear maybe don't sneer at the people, maybe wonder why they've still got questions.

I don't think it's that simple at all. I have a phlegmy cough I've had for over a week, along with cold symptoms and a clearly inflamed tonsil. No fever. Been going about as usual. Do I suddenly self isolate from.fo

That was meant to end "from today?"

I think the confusion comes as they have excluded cold symptoms. So you have a cold for 3-4 days - sneezing, nose blowing, watering eyes, maybe a sore throat, but no temperature or cough. And then many people will develop a cough as a result of the cold. Should you isolate due to that?

LBC this morning has that health guy on this morning that did the announcement with boris yesterday (sorry no idea of his name) and he clarified the cough needs to be within the last day so not a week ago or a month ago but within the last day and continuous. So constantly coughing.

What about people that have a persistent cough due to other factors...lung conditions, permanent dry throats due to medication etc? We can't self isolate indefinitely, yet we can't go out for fear of being branded "selfish" . Still on the plus side I'll have Asda to myself later.

They really should have explained what new meant last night when they made the announcement as it seems to be the biggest question. If you've got a cough/cold that you've had for over a week then you already passed it to people and are if it is Corona you wont be contagious anymore as they said it isnt contagious after 7 days hence the 7 day guidance

I've got a cold. I've had it 3-4 days. Runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, headache, slight temp, occasional cough, ear ache. I've not been anywhere other than the supermarket, gym and school. So what do I do? If I sneeze people look at me as if I've wielded an axe over their head.

so if people are young, fit and healthy I don't think they think about the other people that they are putting at risk by coming into contact with them

I have been shocked and disgusted at the attitudes towards elderly and vulnerable people. It is like they are disposable and not as important as younger people. My father and my mother in law both live with me - he's elderly and she's undergoing yet more chemo. I'm asthmatic, as is my young nephew who also lives with me. We are having to practically self isolate ourselves in order to avoid contact with selfish arseholes who think that their need to go out even with symptoms is more important than our lives.

If I sneeze people look at me as if I've wielded an axe over their head

I'm thinking about getting a large neon sign strapped to my head with "IT'S NOT A NEW COUGH!!!!!" on it.

Basically I think the double checking (with strangers on the internet) is part of the panic.