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Original poster

DS (16) has cough but not a persistent one - do we get a test?

26 replies

mumontherun14 · 07/09/2020 21:17

Hi DS went back to school a few weeks ago (Scotland) and last week had the signs of a headcold. Sore head , felt a bit hot (temp normal) and scratchy throat. I kept him off school. Over the weekend he has developed a cough but I wouldn't say it is a persistent one. He coughs from time to time and it sounds a bi phlemy like the end of a cold. He is in good spirits and in normal time I would be sending him to school. But do you think I should get him tested? I feel I cant send him back with any kind of cough. We have been isolating anyway just in case but I am pretty sure he has a cold but not sure what to do xxx

OP posts:
MrsArchchancellorRidcully · 07/09/2020 21:30

I'd send him in. My understanding is it's a dry persistent cough. Phlegm is a productive cough not a dry one. It's a cold.

foamrolling · 07/09/2020 21:34

This is what NHS site says:

A new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours (if you usually have a cough, it may be worse than usual)

If it's yes to either of those get a test. Doesn't matter if it's dry or productive.

TeddyIsaHe · 07/09/2020 21:35

Yes get a test. It’s a new cough.

Mum2threejs · 07/09/2020 21:37

Get a test. The nhs website says cold like symptoms can be Covid in the under 18s

Todaythiscouldbe · 07/09/2020 21:38

I would send him in to school. It sounds like the tail end of a cold. We can't test every time someone has a cold. Our school have sent guidance to this effect.

lljkk · 07/09/2020 21:39

What foamrolling said.

Pixel77 · 07/09/2020 21:39

You could check his temp maybe. Tricky isn't it.

Hangingbasketofdoom · 07/09/2020 21:40

If you can take him to drive through he could have the test tomorrow and be back at school the next day, with a clean bill of health.

TeddyIsaHe · 07/09/2020 21:40

@Todaythiscouldbe

I would send him in to school. It sounds like the tail end of a cold. We can't test every time someone has a cold. Our school have sent guidance to this effect.
Yes but you do have to test every time they have a NEW cough, which OP’s son has.
Original poster
mumontherun14 · 07/09/2020 21:41

His temp is normal he doesn’t have a high temp. Thanks for the advice x

OP posts:
Hangingbasketofdoom · 07/09/2020 21:43

The "having a cold" doesn't surpass the "if you've one of the three symtoms, isolate or get a test"

foamrolling · 07/09/2020 21:44

Tongue in cheek but does anyone remember the pre-covid days when we all knew if we had a cough or not? We didn't need guidance on what actually constituted 'a cough' because we weren't all driving ourselves mad over thinking it and trying to do the right thing?
Someone might be able to say 'you sound like you've got a cough foamrolling' and I would be able to provide a definitive 'yes I do' or 'no I don't' instantly without even thinking about it. I miss those days.

Oly4 · 07/09/2020 21:45

You don’t need a high temp to get a test. Any one of the three symptoms means you should get a test.
He is a cough, get a test. Don’t be irresponsible.
It makes no difference whether it’s a wet or dry cough

Tilly73 · 07/09/2020 21:52

I had roughly the same symptoms and tested positive

Todaythiscouldbe · 07/09/2020 21:55

The symptom is a new continuous cough, not a new cough.
Phone 119 if you're unsure, I wouldn't be testing with what you've described.

TenThousandSpoons · 07/09/2020 21:59

The thing is, continuous means all the time, doesn’t it? But three bouts in a day isn’t continuous. Anyway, I’d get him a test and you will have the result the next day. If it’s negative he goes back to school, and nobody will send him home if he coughs a few times because he’ll have the text saying he has a negative test result.

Bexily · 07/09/2020 22:11

You don't necessarily get the results next day, we had DS tested at lunch time yesterday but have not got the results back yet. I am certain it's just a cold but he has a cough and had a temp yesterday so we're playing it safe by isolating.

Msmcc1212 · 07/09/2020 22:16

Keep isolating and get a test.

onlinelinda · 07/09/2020 22:18

You can have COVID with an intermittent cough.

StealthPolarBear · 07/09/2020 22:20

Why should he get a test without a new continuous cough though?

Hangingbasketofdoom · 07/09/2020 22:25

It's continuous OR persistent. Certainly is in Scotland anyway, I'd be surprised if not the same elsewhere.

thelegohooverer · 07/09/2020 22:29

Isolate and test. If it’s positive, he’s lucky not to be badly affected, but the people in the chain he spreads it to might not be so fortunate.

Original poster
mumontherun14 · 07/09/2020 22:29

The thing is his cough is not persistent or continuous. Tonight he has coughed maybe twice and it sounds a bit phlemy. My best pal is an intensive care nurse & she says he probably wouldn’t be given the test. I think I will keep him at home again tommoriw & see if it shifts. She sent me a letter from their school from our head of health in Scotland saying children with cold symptoms eg runny nose etc so not need to be tested but might need a few days off school if it’s a heavy cold. I think that’s what he’s had but it’s such a minefield x

OP posts:
Bexily · 07/09/2020 22:35

@mumontherun14

The thing is his cough is not persistent or continuous. Tonight he has coughed maybe twice and it sounds a bit phlemy. My best pal is an intensive care nurse & she says he probably wouldn’t be given the test. I think I will keep him at home again tommoriw & see if it shifts. She sent me a letter from their school from our head of health in Scotland saying children with cold symptoms eg runny nose etc so not need to be tested but might need a few days off school if it’s a heavy cold. I think that’s what he’s had but it’s such a minefield x
So hard to know what to do for the best isn't it.

DS results have just come back Negative. He's only 5 and hated the test, I really hope we don't have to do it again.

Tatapie · 07/09/2020 22:36

Coughing "episode" sounds like more than one cough which is not what your sons doing by the sounds of it.
I wouldn't get my DS tested on those symptoms but probably keep him off a day to see what happens.

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