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.

Too much

@JS87
I’m sure I could dig up a load of articles that say the opposite. It is not up to individuals to decide if they should follow the guidance based on which articles they read.

@JS87

Can’t link to it at the moment but there’s an article in the guardian about a professor from GOSH who says we are testing children to much, children are 44% less likely to catch covid and we should leave schools fully open.

I would imagine that is the highly controversial Sunetra Gupta, and her herd immunity, let all the children catch it theories. Unfortunately those theories would quite possibly see children like my ds, being one of the unlucky ones...but it's ok, because he has underlying conditions.

No it’s Prof Russell Viner. The publication has just come out in jama paediatrics.

It’s a meta analysis on studies of 41000 children around the world.

I think this is basically what France are doing for primary age children - not sending contacts home from school to isolate.
I’m not arguing if it’s right or wrong, just thought it was relevant to this thread.
I do also think though that as time goes by there will be more evidence about spread in children, similar to this study which may inform government policies.

jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapediatrics/fullarticle/2771181

@ShouldWeChangeTheBulb I really admire you for persevering with this thread. We are 15 pages in and people are still spouting the same nonsense

It's not a "covid" cough there are many types of cough associated with covid
I always get a cold with a cough at this time of year but you might also have covid
I think I know the difference between a cold and Corona virus that's amazing as even doctors and scientists can't tell without a test
If you have a runny nose it's not covid lots of people have runny noses and covd
You can't get a test every time you have a cough that's literally what the government tell you to do (if the cough is persisting)
You can't expect everyone to have time off work if they develop a cough it's Boris Johnson who has ordered everyone to do just that and agreed to issue fines for people who break the rules.

Not all coughs are the same and not all are new. This time of year I always have one triggered by post nasal drip.

JS87 your study says the role children play in transmission is unclear, it just says that they are less likely to get it, especially at primary school age.

I also think you forget that there are adults at schools and that this study notes the particularly low rates in under 10s. Look at transmission rates and how they have risen in older teenagers.

Just the fact that universities are having such a hard time at Freshers suggests that the study probably needs to break it down more by age group, unless you believe that as well as being able to count whether there are 6 or 7 people in a group and tell the time covid can also look at you and instantly know whether you are 17 or 18.

Yes I never said anything about transmission, just that they were less likely to get it and yes you are right, evidence is strongest for primary age children. I just mentioned it as the lead author said we were probably testing children (presumably he meant young children) too much which comes back to the whole cold/cough argument on this thread (which I haven’t discussed).

Feelingconfused2020 - nice summary. You have covered it all with your list.

The guidelines are clear: “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 the testing process can’t cope then that’s useful information and more testing will be provided because that is what will help us to keep things moving. It’s not up to us to ration it based on our personal view of whether it’s covid or not.

I had quite a nasty cough start last week. I was fairly confident that it was due to the sniffle I'd had the week before, but I am a TA and just couldn't risk going to work with symptoms so I got tested and was thankfully negative. I felt like I'd be condemned either way: have a test and it'd be, "you've had a cold, you idiot!" but don't have a test and it'd be "you've been in school with a symptoms, you idiot!"

You'd hate us then, we all had sore throats, tight chests and we coughed. Then we got snotty noses and a head cold all over a week period.

I kept my ds off school we limited contact and I tried over 15 times to get a booking for a test for one of us, and a big fat nothing, no tests, not availability for 3 days.

Everyone is better and back at school tomorrow.

I kept my ds off school we limited contact and I tried over 15 times to get a booking for a test for one of us, and a big fat nothing, no tests, not availability for 3 days
Everyone is better and back at school tomorrow.

I don't hate you, that would be stupid, I don't know you

Bit it makes me really worried and scared for my medically vulnerable ds, who has to attend school, that people, like yourselves, aren't following the guidelines.
You don't know it was definitely just a cold
You had a symptom - coughing
You all should have completely quarantined at home, with no going out at all
In sorry, but at the moment, 15 times is nothing...we tried over and over again for 5 days with ds, finally getting one on the 5th and final day - but if we hadn't, we would have all continued to quarantine for the full time.
I just wish the testing was better, I wish the systems of support in place were better and I wish people would stick to the rules.

This thread is shocking. People shock me.

Am shocked and saddened too.
@Bupkis Hope you are able to live your life with out so much worry soon. It’s an awful situation to be in. I hope this thread brings out the worst in people and most people who know your DS would be more aware of how important it is that we all stick together.