AIBU to say if you have a cough get a test

[ShouldWeChangeTheBulb]

I’m getting increasing pissed off with people online and IRL about not getting tested because ‘it’s just a cold’ or it’s ‘obviously not Covid’. FWIW I don’t get annoyed if someone visits family even though their not supposed to in their area. I think it’s inhuman not to have social contact so I can understand that but for god sake if you actually have symptoms lockdown straight away and get tested. I know it’s a pain in the arse but not wanting to do something is not a good reason for not doing it.
For context we are currently locked down as DS has it (he caught if from his teacher). When I tell people his symptoms I’ve lost count of how many people say ‘my dd has those symptoms but she had a runny nose last week so it’s just a cold’. You cannot tell if it’s Covid or not, the symptoms can be the same as any other illness.

But there are a million and one reasons why people have a cough and the testing is currently shit.

How could anything system posibly cope with the millions of people who have a cold every day?

Better that we let system catch up with tests for those with the 3 main symptoms before adding more demand.

Given that there are so many asymptomatic cases we're never going to detect them all anyway.

A cough is a main symptom!

Runny nose and sneezing = no test
Runny nose and cough = get a test

But there are loads of reasons you could be coughing, my DS has asthma and has been coughing more. We can’t test him every day 🤷‍♀️

Yes, a persistent and continual dry cough. Not any cough going, and certainly not one accompanying runny/blocked nose, sneezing etc.

Tests are difficult enough to get at the moment without people being told they need a test because they coughed.

Well why are we bothering at all then? So some of use follow the rules and pick up the slack because you don’t want to.
If it’s a new cough or it had got worse then you absolutely should test. Why wouldn’t you?

Yes, a persistent and continual dry cough. Not any cough going, and certainly not one accompanying runny/blocked nose, sneezing etc
Dry cough is not a thing. It’s any cough. My DS did not have a dry cough and he had a runny nose.

But a runny nose is very rare with Covid. And the normal cold viruses are still as prevalent as ever. If everyone with a runny nose or any old cough got tested, that depletes the number of tests available for those with genuine symptoms.

The royal college of paediatricians advised children to go into school if they are otherwise well and only have a runny nose etc.

Your view on mixing households and visiting friends/relatives in high risk areas when against the law is at total odds with your post. Asymptomatic transmission is real.

@ShouldWeChangeTheBulb

A cough is a main symptom!

A new persistent cough is a symptom not a cough that you know you get every time you have a bit of a cold and you have a bit of a cold.

I have a cold at the moment and cough a bit when I get up every day do you really think I should take up a test slot?

A new persistent cough is a symptom not a cough that you know you get every time you have a bit of a cold and you have a bit of a cold
If you weren’t coughing last week and you are now yes I think you should get a test. A continuous cough is where you have a cough more than three times in a day.

You can’t tell the difference between a cold with a cough and Covid the symptoms can be the same.

I’ve got a cold and as usual, my asthma is a bit worse so I’m coughing a bit. Do I test? No.
DH has a cold. In all the 20 years I’ve known him, his cold is accompanied by a cough. Does he test? No. Neither are new, persistent coughs. The country is not equipped to test everyone who coughs nor to have millions in isolation because they can’t get a test.

I'm not going to test every time I start coughing. I had bronchitis three years ago. It's left me with, well, a sensitive cough reflex. I have coughing fits when:

I go into warm places.
I go into cold places.
I go to places with dry air (air conditioning or heating.)
I eat ice cream.
I drink hot drinks.
I eat chocolate (not sure why on that one!)
I smell strong smells (bleach, spicy curry, smoke)

Basically I have coughing fits most days all year round, but far more prevalently in the winter. It's simply not feasible for me to isolate or get a test every day. I've spoken to my GP and he's told me to ignore the cough and only test with one of the other symptoms.

I have decided to WFH as much as I can however and not go to many public places if I can help it.

This is why there is testing shortages
A dry persistent new cough = test
Fought with mucus, occasional cough, asthmatic cough etc= no test

Get a grip

Literally just said that a runny nose isn’t a Covid symptom, or only very rarely.

It’s pretty easy to tell the difference between a continuous dry cough and one caused by post nasal drip etc.

Yes they are new coughs. If you always have a cough then you test if it’s worse. But always having a cough after a cold doesn’t make it and existing cough. It’s still a new cough. You just don’t want to.

It’s pretty easy to tell the difference between a continuous dry cough and one caused by post nasal drip etc
Dry cough is not part of the triggering symptoms In England. It’s just a cough.
DS had a slight productive cough and a runny nose and was positive.

A persistent cough had a specific definition - coughing steadily for 1 hour or 3 prolonged episodes in 24 hours. If it’s not that, then it’s not a COVID symptom.

DH has a cold. In all the 20 years I’ve known him, his cold is accompanied by a cough. Does he test? No. Neither are new, persistent coughs.

Unless he has colds frequently, he should be tested. Reference to new means 'do you have a cough that you didn't have last week?', not 'do you have a cough that's different from the one when you had a cold last year?'.

There are not sufficient tests, but that is not a reason to not test. If people choose not to test then the government will choose not to increase capacity, and that is not the solution.

Where does it say prolonged?

@ShouldWeChangeTheBulb

A new persistent cough is a symptom not a cough that you know you get every time you have a bit of a cold and you have a bit of a cold If you weren’t coughing last week and you are now yes I think you should get a test. A continuous cough is where you have a cough more than three times in a day.

No it's not, seriously it's not three coughs in a day

It's 3 coughing episodes, now OK maybe there could be scope for debate about what an episode is but I think common sense needs to step in at that point and most people know what that looks like.

@ShouldWeChangeTheBulb

A cough is a main symptom!

A CONTINUOUS COUGH is a main symptom. Not any fucking cough.

It is described as 3 episodes of coughing in 24 hours (ie more than 2 coughs) or an episode of coughing that lasts more than an hour.

Your common cold cough is NOT a Covid symptom.

@ChaChaCha2012
Thank you

I had covid symptoms last week, high temp, cough, feeling unwell
The nearest test I could get despite checking over and over again was 80 miles away.

I'm not doing a 160 mile round trip when I don't feel well so that's that really