Should I isolate?

[Ivebeentohellanditscalledikea]

This might sound stupid but all the advice I have read have said a persistent cough. I seem to be getting a cough last thing at night and the odd one cough during the day (tends to be in conjunction with the heating being on). Should I self isolate? I don't think it's an illness thing as I have no temperature and feel fine.

Coughing more today so definitely not going in. Just like people said persistent is open to interpretation.

The only way the advice is going to make any sense is having effective testing.

I cough all the time. I have allergies and heart burn that makes me cough. I wouldnt know when my usual cough could potentially turn in to a COVID cough. My work said if people need time off to use holidays ( I have none left ) or take unpaid leave which I can't afford to do. So I can understand why some people are confused as it could lead to very real financial hardship for something that could just be an allergy cough ( for example )

I cough all the time. I have allergies and heart burn that makes me cough. I wouldnt know when my usual cough could potentially turn in to a COVID cough

Nobody is asking you to know.

They are saying if you have a NEW cough. Not if you think your existing cough has turned into CV.

I'm feeling really guilty about not going to work which is ridiculous. We are usually expected to drag ourselves in no matter what so it's a habit that's hard to break.

I agree that we are all made to feel so guilty for not going in to work or for not sending our children to school, that instinctively we think of ourselves as overreacting. DD2 woke up with a cough on Friday morning. She actually woke herself up coughing and she was coughing constantly. She gets coughs like this often but it was a new cough that day. She is completely fine in herself and isn't coughing constantly. It seems to be worse first thing in the morning and when she goes to bed with a few little coughing fits in the day. Based on the advice, I have to keep her home for 7 days. It does seem like an overreaction when she is completely fine in herself, but I know that if she had one of her coughing fits when she was at nursery or with her childminder they'd send her home right away. I will keep her home but previously, with a cough like this she'd have been fine to go in as it seems much more asthma related than viral. But of course I can't be certain. It's a difficult habit to break when we're constantly told that attendance is so important.

Probably another stupid question but I've just realised my youngests school doesn't mind my 15yr old dropping off but won't allow anyone under 18 picking him up so how am I supposed to get him from school. Both their schools have said they have to come in unless they are showing symptoms themselves which they aren't.