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Original poster

Husband has the symptoms but no fever

50 replies

Forfoxsake29 · 15/03/2020 12:20

Dh has had a really sore throat and now a dry cough. Had it for a few days and generally feels rough. He’s contacted work and they said he doesn’t need to be off because he doesn’t have a high fever?

Aibu to think this is ridiculous! If he doesn’t phone in sick tomorrow then I will.

OP posts:
easyandy101 · 15/03/2020 12:20

Fever is the most consistent symptom

iklboo · 15/03/2020 12:21

Government advice last week is if you have symptoms of a dry cough and a temperature of 37.8 or over (not a high fever) you need to self isolate for 7 days.

SilentAndQuietLight · 15/03/2020 12:22

Self isolate for fever OR dry cough. YANBU.

Original poster
Forfoxsake29 · 15/03/2020 12:22

Hi fever has been on and off throughout the past few days.

He’s never ever ill. He’s never had a day off in the past 5 years for being ill, so hearing him moan and cough throughout the night isn’t normal.

OP posts:
Splitsunrise · 15/03/2020 12:23

OR!! not and

Nquartz · 15/03/2020 12:23

Very clearly one or the other

Stay at home for 7 days if you have either:
• a high temperature – you feel hot to touch on your chest or back
• a new, continuous cough – this means you've started coughing repeatedly

SuddenArborealStop · 15/03/2020 12:24

He's sick either way it doesn't have to be corona to take a day off work

JassyRadlett · 15/03/2020 12:24

The Government guidelines are that he should be off for the cough alone, regardless of fever.

Notimeforaname · 15/03/2020 12:24

I've seen a video on YT of a couple who were on that ship in Japan.
And the husband is saying they didn't have a temperature as such.
He was usually 37.5 or a little under.. ... A couple of times he went up to 37.7 and back down again .. didn't believe this to be a fever.
Well he was wrong.
Both he and his wife tested positive for corona virus and had to go to hospital. He had hardly any cough too.

Notimeforaname · 15/03/2020 12:26
iklboo · 15/03/2020 12:26

Sorry yes OR not AND.

Nquartz · 15/03/2020 12:27

@SuddenArborealStop Makes a great point, even if it isn't corona he's not well enough to work. I wouldn't want him sat next to me!

LakieLady · 15/03/2020 12:34

I've got similar, OP, as has DP (although he had a slight fever the day he started getting symptoms). It's perfect timing though, as we have the next 2 weeks off anyway.

Because they're only testing the most seriously ill, imo we have no way of knowing if just getting Covid-19 mildly can mean your temperature stays normal (or, indeed, if you can get it and remain entirely asymptomatic).

I've only had a temperature 3 times in the last 30 years or so (strep nephritis, campylobacter and flu), so it doesn't seem to be one of the ways my body responds to infection. My late mother was the same, too. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it's possible for some people to be infected without a fever.

LakieLady · 15/03/2020 12:35

Bollocks, should have RTFT!

I didn't know that about the couple on the cruise ship.

Notimeforaname · 15/03/2020 12:40

Lakielady
Yes he had hardly any symptoms but by the time they took them off the ship and into an ambulance he was very short of breath and pneumonia was setting in.

Neverender · 15/03/2020 12:41

I wouldn't want any colleague coughing and spluttering near me at the moment - he shouldn't go in

MondieBee · 15/03/2020 12:42

The guidance now is new continuous cough OR fever means self isolate.

He needs to self isolate for 7 days. Doesn't matter if it's coronavirus or a cold. If 100 people with a cough self isolated and only 1 has coronavirus, the spread is reduced.

You don't need to have coronavirus to self isolate. You just need a cough or a fever.

neveradullmoment99 · 15/03/2020 12:57

I have a cough. I have been told to self isolate. I don't have any other symptoms. The guidelines are clear. His work is completely wrong.

Illberidingshotgun · 15/03/2020 12:58

Yes - the guidance is clear. In his situation he needs to self isolate for 7 days. They are being ridiculous.

neveradullmoment99 · 15/03/2020 12:59

I also cannot believe the poll. He must NOT go in. It develops in different ways with different people.

Zoecarter · 15/03/2020 13:05

Drs are saying even if it is not covid 19 you need to self isolate and not spread the common cold etc to take the burden off the Nhs

BlindAssassin1 · 15/03/2020 13:06

He needs to stay home.

My DC have had sky high temps but no cough. Even their school, which is attendance-focused says stay home for seven days. Personally, I'm keeping them off until they are fighting fit. Even if its not CV I don't want them catching it on top of whatever they've had as they've been so rough this week.

BlindAssassin1 · 15/03/2020 13:08

He’s contacted work and they said he doesn’t need to be off because he doesn’t have a high fever

Just a thought, are they trying to wriggle out of sick pay? If so, time to get uppity!

BrightYellowDaffodil · 15/03/2020 13:09

Your OH needs to point his employers in the direction of 111’s advice. He needs to self isolate if he has a new persistent cough OR a fever.

Employers who are giving their employees advice contrary to the official advice should be named and shamed.

daisychain01 · 15/03/2020 13:10

He’s contacted work and they said he doesn’t need to be off because he doesn’t have a high fever?

Look, everyone has to stop relying on being told what to do by Government, Boris Johnson, work, their NDN etc, etc. We all need to be self-empowered and state strongly if we have sufficient concerns about our symptoms and not give others the opportunity to argue the toss.

His work needs to listen to him stating he is unwell and conform with Government Guidelines.

In short, please get him to phone in sick and self-isolate. His rationale is that he is currently in the maximum contagion days and he wants to protect the workforce. Force them to take him seriously.