What *exactly * is a persistent cough?

[NemoTeamo]

In my smallish office, in west Wales we are in a standoff between our staff.
We have a lady with a slight cough who is coming into work as usual and a chap who is complaining about her persistent cough to me.
Neither have underlying health conditions and both are in their early twenties.
I listened to the colleague complaining and actually timed the instances of coughing in one hour without the lady knowing . She coughed (and really it was more of a throat clear than anything) 8 times in one hour. Three of these occured directly as someone mentioned corona virus (psychosomatic?). And three of us also coughed at one of these mentions too.
She appears well and not flushed by temperature or anything.
What is a persistent cough? Does this count as one?!

I’d also like to know the answer to this.

Eight times in an hour does sound a lot. However, was that an isolated or all day. If all day, then I’d say it’s persistent. If several coughing fits in one hour, then nothing until several hours later, then maybe not.

Imo a persistent cough is where you are either coughing almost continuously or having coughing fits every so often that you can hardly catch your breath. Your colleague with the slight cough doesn't sound like that.

Im confused about this as well. Im amazed how many people Ive come across with an obvious cough over the last few days, still out and about and not isolating as well.

This is my take on it.

The opposite of persistent is intermittent, or occasional. Is your cough only occasional? If not, it's persistent.

Would you say to someone, under normal circumstances, with no covid, "I've got a cough." That's a persistent cough.

If you cough a couple of times when you got up, and then just before you had a cup of tea around 11, then got a bit of a tickle later in the day... that's an occasional cough.

Until people started talking about coughing, I don’t think you realise just how much you cough in the normal course of a day.

My guess would be if you are coughing enough to question it yourself then it is persistent

Did anyone’s symptoms include a sore gland in the neck at the time their throat started feeling a bit dry?

How do people not know this?!

If you are frequently coughing when you normally would not. It's pretty simple.

Throat clearing isn't coughing, so which is it?

If it is a cough, 8 times in an hour is alot. I've probably coughed twice all day.

@Dramadrama Yes apparently when questioned by him she did say her "neck" felt a bit sore

She's not drawing any breath in to do the cough. Her mouth is closed and she sort of does that cough that sounds like its someone sarcastically asking for something IYSWIM!

Oh that's interesting, @Nemo. I couldn't see glands listed as a symptom of CV but was wondering.

Personally I would say if you have a cough that keeps going for several hours then it would be best to err on the side of caution. Some people are going to use SI as a chance to skive but it's still better to prevent the spread of the disease by allowing anyone who asks to SI with a cough and/or fever to do so.

Does she normally cough like this? Has she been doing it for weeks/months?

I have a cough like this and am SI to be on the safe side

It did get noticeably worse though to be fair. But I figured it's not worth the risk.

The NHS website says 'if you have started coughing repeatedly':

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/

The NHS definition of coughing repeatedly is a far better way of explaining what is meant by a "persistent cough".

Sometimes we cough because our throat is irritated eg we've swallowed saliva or food the wrong way, we've breathed in smoke or a chemical, we've got post nasal drip from coming in from the cold or acid reflux. In those cases, you cough for a few moments or possibly a few hours until the irritation has settled. Those would not be a persistent cough and you generally are aware of the cause.

What if you want to cough r

What if you want to cough repeatedly. I have a dry throat started this afternoon and feel that I need to keep clearing it. But it's not an uncontrollable cough, I can manage without clearing it not like a phlegmy cough where you have to cough. No temperature.

Bear in mind that not everyone who has CV has the same symptoms (some have no, or minimal symptoms).

I have got a lump in my throat when I swallow, tender glands in my neck, occasional tightness in my chest, feeling rough as anything and started a cough today. Have had worse coughs and have no fever but isolating myself just in case.

Should I / can I as her line manager insist she goes home?! Im still not convinced myself to be honest, and I'm not even sure I would have noticed it if the chap hadn't spoken to me directly about it.

It's a NEW persistent/repeated cough.

How long has she been clearing her throat for? I wouldn't class throat clearing as coughing tbh.

Maybe for a week or so, but I honestly haven't noticed it much so that's a guess to be honest based on what the chap is saying.

Very confusing. I wouldn't say that was a persistent cough but I dont know how many times people normally cough in a day.