WTF is a continuous cough?

[SylvanianFrenemies]

Just that. Is it coughing most of the time? How about a mild burst a few times per day. Hard to make sense of these guidelines.

The NHS website has a description, one second...

If you were ringing your mum and she asked how you'd been, if your answer is "I've got a cough" then it's a continuous cough.

Here it is:

I read somewhere if you cough for more than an hour or for three separate ‘fits’ over the day that are uncontrollable ie not a direct result of smoking or clearing your throat, it’s a continuous cough.

Click on the photo to see the whole thing - hope you're okay OP.

DivGirl 😂

Ok, thanks everyone.

DH has a slight cough, but we haven't been out the door in a month and are careful with deliveries. So hoping it is hayfever or something. I'm just cautious because I'm high risk (not mega, mega high risk).

A dry cough

It doesn’t have to be fits of coughing. A couple of coughs 3 times in 24 hours counts (unless that’s normal for your husband eg smoker’s cough)

Its not normal for him 🙁
It won't affect anything in that we are already not going out or otherwise seeing anyone. I've had some coughs too, assuming they are hayfever as I'm prone to it. All this uncertainty is difficult. If we do have it, I can't imagine how.

My neighbours child has been coughing for two days, it's a single cough kind of with a bark to it, every twenty seconds. Is that what THE cough sounds like? I'm scared to go into the garden because they are spending time out there and the gardens aren't that wide...

Caringdenise009 - that sounds more like croup ....

She's 11 do they get croup at that age? She seems well enough otherwise but it's really unsettling to hear it.

@SylvanianFrenemies it’s hard to tell isn’t it? DH started like that, but developed quite severe symptoms. 3 of my dc had the cough since, 2 with a temperature, but it didn’t progress. In normal times we wouldn’t have thought anything of it. In these circumstances though it’s best to stay in and keep an eye on things. Hopefully it’s something else/ a mild case.

@SylvanianFrenemies we were similarly careful, but did notice that lots of people doing deliveries etc weren’t and needed telling to move away. God knows how many people they get too close to a day!

@howmanysleepsnow thanks! We haven't even been opening the door for deliveries, have been cleaning everything.... I saw the guy delivering our groceries one week tucking the kitchen roll under his chin! As you say, hopefully anything is a mild case. How long from starting to cough to clearly recovering in your family, if you don't mind me asking?

My dad coughs a lot but he always has and he brings up ( sorry TMI) lots flem . But this has always been the case for him for years
I do joke and ask if it’s a corona cough but he’s always says no it’s exactly the same as it always is 😂

@SylvanianFrenemies I had a cough and temperature and extreme fatigue for 48 hours, cough for a couple of days after. Ds6 had temperature for 3 days, cough for 5. Ds7 had cough for 7 days, sore throat for 2. Ds14 had cough for 6 days, temperature spiked briefly on day 3 and 4. Dh is on immunosuppressants and is on day 19. He’s got better and worse again a few times (much more unwell than the rest of us). Yesterday he was diagnosed with pneumonia which we’re hoping is a secondary bacterial infection and is on antibiotics. He’s improved a lot apart from pneumonia symptoms though. He’s still at home.
DD12 is still fine, no symptoms!

Thanks, what a variable picture! No wonder the advice seems vague at times. I hope your DH is on the mend soon.

I think the symptoms the govt chose for self isolation were just designed to catch 'enough' cases to significantly reduce transmission rates country wide, rather than to be a comprehensive guide for individuals. It seems like in reality many combinations of odd symptoms can be covid.

It seems really unlikely your DH has got in it your current circs, I guess it's best to assume it might be but hopefully not.