What happens when you normally have a cough?

[OhLookHeKickedTheBall]

Apologies for the whiny thread, I'm feeling sorry for myself so am in moan and possibly catastrophise mode.

I have asthma, last Sunday I had a short un-normal cough then a fever on Monday/Tuesday and malingering bleurgh-ness. The night before last I started becoming breathless without much relief from inhalers. Yesterday I called 111 and got a strange double response - first to put my through to OOH and then another we'll put you on the coronvirus call back list.

OOH did not want to see me on the basis I cough. But I cough normally, just like a throat clearing one, but enough for them to class as persistent. I get it, really. OOH Dr thinks my asthma has got out of control and prescribed steroids and I can breathe again so yay.

Its got me thinking though - what happens to asthmatics and other people who tend to have a cough as part of their illnesses? If we can't get checked out are we going to fall through the cracks? Are we going to have to be isolated every time we cough a bit more than usual? When families need to isolate together are we going to trap everyone in for possibly months with something that may just be our normal illnesses?

I do get that how would we know, and I don't intend to be out there in the wild coughing over everyone.

Watching with interest. Dh has asthma, he’s had it since childhood. He has inhalers of course, attends the asthma clinic and it is generally really well controlled but he coughs, he’s had a cough for the 10 years I’ve known him! He’s gone to work this morning, absolutely totally well, no temperature, no cold/flu symptoms whatsoever and his work (evidently knowing he’s a cougher) have threatened to send him home, unpaid if he coughs too much. I’m absolutely panicking as we will be up shit creek if he has to be off unpaid for an unknown amount of time.

Our gp is now closed to any appointments/queries except emergencies so we’ve no idea what to do. He’s in a public facing role (not healthcare), no remotely possible option to work from home and even in the event of lockdown he and his colleagues would absolutely have to keep working, assuming he/they are well of course.

Oh god jen. I really hope it works out well for your DH.

They need to improve the testing regimen to include people who get coughs like you have described, otherwise how will they know?