Asthmatics?

[frustrationcentral]

Hi!

Has anyone found a reliable way to work out the difference between Covid cough and typical asthma following a cold cough?

I suffer on and off all autumn/winter. Starts with a cold, which within days settles on my chest.

How will I know the difference? Do I isolate the whole family everytime I get a cough?

I've got the start of a cold now - no temp, no loss of taste/smell and currently no cough. Just feel heavy headed and sniffly. I know by the weekend this will have moved to my chest - it always does! Do I test?

Does taking your ventolin inhaler relieve the cough normally? I suppose that would be a way to distinguish between an asthma cough and a covid cough.
I tend to get asthma flare ups after a cold, I keep it under control by increasing my dose of the preventer inhaler for a week or two when I get a cold - you might be doing that already but if not it might be worth talking to the asthma nurse about doing it next time you get a cold and see if it helps?

Thanks @NannyR , it helps a bit but not massively.

I just don't want to get it wrong - not isolating/testing and risking others but also unnecessary testing when there's a shortage. I work with young children so I'm always catching colds, this is going to be a long winter!!

I've been wondering this too, when my asthma is causing me to cough it's usually very wheezy and mucusy( if that's a word) im often coughing shit up ( I know its disgusting) does a covid cough bring mucas up? I've been tight chested for a few days now but I know thats normal for me especially when the weather changes it gets worse but the ventolin usually helps