Cough but no temperature- cant get a test!

[Whenwilligrowup]

So my eldest ds has woken up this morning with what I'm pretty sure is a cold. Just a cough and sniffly nose but no temp. Pretty sure this still means we all have to isolate until we can get tested doesn't it? I can't drive and there are literally no home testing kits available any time I try! Anyone in the same predicament? We managed one week of school I suppose!!

[Lougle]

@Torvean32 that's not what 111 said. They said if they've coughed 3 times, that's 3 episodes. I specifically demonstrated Dad's cough, literally "cough-cough" but they said it still counts.

[WatchoutfortheROUS]

The whole testing situation is a farce. All it will result is in people keeping quiet about symptoms so they don't have to isolate for 2 weeks, whereas if people could be tested within 48 hours people would be more upfront

[SleeplessWB]

The problem is that the symptoms are so vague it is impossible for schools to know what to do. Technically schools are not allowed to ask you to test and can't ask for proof of a negative test. We are sending home anyone who feels poorly / is coughing and leaving it to parents to judge if a test is needed, but obviously if they come back into school and are still coughing we will send them home again.

[PurpleDaisies]

Schools really need to change their policy. This is why tests are running out.

Schools shouldn’t require students to get tested if they have covid symptoms?

[Ohyeahs]

Schools really need to change their policy. This is why tests are running out.

[Mippi]

@Lougle that's the same kind of cough my dc has (very snotty, and easily 20 minutes between coughs) and she tested positive.

[Umbridge34]

My nephew got sent home from school with classic cold symptoms but becasue he coughed a bit this morning they wouldn't risk it. Half of his class are out with it all trying to get tests.

Luckily my sister, after spending all day refreshing the site, must have refreshed exactly as they released tests at a local centre this evening. She's just been and the person testing said all they've done the last few days is kids that have been sent home with typical colds but school want a negative result or a 14 day isolation. He said there's no wonder the system is at its limits now that schools are being so cautious.

[Torvean32]

@Whenwilligrowup

But what is classed as a continuous cough? My ds has had a few coughing episodes this morning but I wouldn't say he's coughing every few minutes. I would never under normal circumstances have kept him off for a cough like this so clearly not a very bad one!

Thats not a continuous cough. A continuous cough is

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)

[Lougle]

@zxcv123

Do people realise it's a persistent DRY cough that's a possible sign of Covid? If you have a phlegmy cough i.e. coughing because you have a runny nose which is dripping into the back of your throat, it doesn't count. So if you are coughing up mucus, that's not a dry cough & doesn't need testing for.

I've been through this process with 111 last night. I phoned 111 because DD2 has symptoms of a common cold, with a cough. It isn't all the time, at all. At it's worse, it's been a double cough, with 20 minutes between coughs. I think it's the snot going down her throat.

When I finally got my call back at 1:38 am this morning, the clinician said that coughing more than 3 times is classed as 'continuous' for COVID purposes, and that even though the coughs aren't prolonged, or causing any distress, each one is classed as an 'episode'. So, she needs a test.

[Keepdistance]

We wanted drive and were given walk. And we werent sure which it was.
I dont drive dh had to take an hr off wfh.
Ideally i want a saliva home test.

[PurpleDaisies]

Google “covid productive cough” @zxcv123

[Mippi]

I believe the official symptom has always just been a cough.

[zxcv123]

Sorry if that's misinformation. It was definitely the advice when I was ill. Does anyone know when it changed?

[zxcv123]

That's weird. That's definitely what my GP told me when I had Covid earlier this year. My hacking, dry cough continued (with other symptoms) for a good 6-8 weeks.

If you google "Coronavirus dry cough" you'll see lots of results come up, including the BBC.

If people are having to test for coughs associated with runny noses/colds, no wonder the system is overwhelmed!

[Mippi]

@zxcv123

Do people realise it's a persistent DRY cough that's a possible sign of Covid? If you have a phlegmy cough i.e. coughing because you have a runny nose which is dripping into the back of your throat, it doesn't count. So if you are coughing up mucus, that's not a dry cough & doesn't need testing for.

My dc had a very runny nose and an occasional barking cough which has turned a bit chesty.

[PurpleDaisies]

Do people realise it's a persistent DRY cough that's a possible sign of Covid?

That isn’t correct.
Please do not post misinformation.

[SummerHouse]

That's not what the guidance says zxcv

[zxcv123]

Do people realise it's a persistent DRY cough that's a possible sign of Covid? If you have a phlegmy cough i.e. coughing because you have a runny nose which is dripping into the back of your throat, it doesn't count. So if you are coughing up mucus, that's not a dry cough & doesn't need testing for.

[DDiva]

[quote Snailsetssail]@DDiva yep same was happening to me! Daft isn’t it. A waste of a test as I didn’t need one, but DD does and both me and DH are key workers stuck at home until we get the results.[/quote]
I just said I booked us both by mistake,so didn't actually have a test. The test centre were fine about it.

[SummerHouse]

That's good @timtam23 hopefully things are starting to get sorted across the board. I got a test last night at just gone eight at my local test center. Couldn't believe it when it just popped up!

[timtam23]

@SummerHouse I did finally manage to get a test this morning and my boss is taking this upwards to the big bosses to see if there is any chance of restarting the staff/staff household testing which used to be available. As I surely can't be the only member of their staff in this position

[Snailsetssail]

@DDiva yep same was happening to me! Daft isn’t it. A waste of a test as I didn’t need one, but DD does and both me and DH are key workers stuck at home until we get the results.

[Woulditbeworth]

Exactly the same thing for us. Cough from a cold but both Primary age children need to be off school.

Started trying to get a test at 8.30am yesterday. Tried every 20 mins during the day up until midnight, twice in the night and again from 6.30 onwards. Finally got a postal test at 8am this morning.

Would happily have driven a few hours to get a test if there was any available but nothing came up at all.

I was told they release new postal tests at 8am.

[DDiva]

[quote Snailsetssail]@BernadetteRostankowskiWolowitz you fill in as yourself, say you don’t have symptoms, then later on you can add family members where you will say they do have symptoms.

I couldn’t get anything doing it this way though so ended up booking one for myself (I’m a key worker in a school) and adding on DD so we both ended up getting tested, waste of resources as I don’t need one but it was the only way to get one for her and I need to be back in work ASAP.[/quote]
I have been trying all day, got chucked out without confirmation a couple of times. Just changed to booking for both myself and dd and got a slot tomorrow straight away. Coincidence maybe or
a glitch?

[SummerHouse]

@timtam23 can you try / or your boss try HR. I am annoyed for my family but if frontline NHS can't get a test then I am livid!