Is it as simple as cough you should test

[Cantspeakpublic]

The whole continuous or coughing episode is confusing.
Ds has a cold and has been coughing for 24hours. I’m sure the cough is part of the cold and that I read covid was a dry cough.
But I’m confused over the guidelines - any cough that’s ongoing then test?

We're isolating at the moment. I took the test (postal) this afternoon.

We've all had a cold. Pretty much over by Sunday. DD and DH are back to normal, I am coughing like a wild thing. So here we are... It's booooooring, but it's also the right thing to do.

A continuous cough/multiple coughing episodes (not just one cough every hour) is a symptom if it's new. If you cough occasionally as part of a cold it's not the same

My DC had a cold, followed by a slight cough. I had the cold after them, with a fairly sizeable cough. Colds always result in a cough for me, and sometimes a chest infection, just for laughs. I haven't bothered to get a test for either of us, as it is a cold with a resulting cough. Not an unexplained new cough. We have stayed away from others though - mostly because if you cough nowadays in public, people get really sensitive.

It’s ok, she just has a normal cough, not as described here in the nhs guidelines:

symptoms of coronavirus in children

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

a high temperature
a new, continuous cough – this means coughing a lot, for more than an hour, or 3 or more coughing episodes in 24 hours
a loss or change to sense of smell or taste – this means they cannot smell or taste anything, or things smell or taste different to normal

The guidelines are so open to misinterpretation. A continuous cough has to quite severe it would seem. The irony is that so many children with covid display no symptoms whatsoever. It’s going to be a long winter.

@wurlycurly

It’s all very well to say get a test but it isn’t always possible. My DD has a cold, and a cough with it. Went online and the nearest test centre is over six miles away and we are not able to take a cab or public transport. She’s ill, she can’t walk that.

With all due redirect, 6 miles is nothing. They can’t have test centres at the end of every street. 60 miles is too far and perhaps 16 but 6 miles...

Respect

My kids have had colds this past week. Very snotty, no Covid symptoms. Oldest has coughed a few times, but he has SEN and has trouble blowing his nose so tends to sniff hard and cough.

So I started with the runny nose etc on Sunday evening, and this afternoon developed a cough. I usually get coughs when I get a bad cold, so I'm hoping it's just that. But I'm getting a test tomorrow and we are isolating. Keeping everything crossed it's negative. Not looking forward to the test and hope I don't have to keep doing this all winter!

My DD has a cold... she’s only 10! I just think it’s crazy to suggest a twelve mile walk to and back to a test centre! I’m pretty tough but I just think that’s too far to walk with a sick child. I’m not looking for sympathy here just pointing out that the testing system doesn’t work for everyone

My 45 year old son tested positive yesterday . All he had was a cough and a headache with a slight temperature. Today his symptoms have gone

@wurlycurly

My DD has a cold... she’s only 10! I just think it’s crazy to suggest a twelve mile walk to and back to a test centre! I’m pretty tough but I just think that’s too far to walk with a sick child. I’m not looking for sympathy here just pointing out that the testing system doesn’t work for everyone

I think maybe TableFlowerss thought that was a drive, rather than a walk. It is too far to walk with an ill child, I agree, which is why you need to self isolate (unless you can get a postal test).

I've no idea what to do either. My partner had a cold. No covid symptoms just runny nose and a bit tired. Now baby has a runny nose but he's coughing when he lays down but hardly coughed during the day which I'm assuming is due to being unable to blow his nose.

I wonder if people will still be asking this "tricky" question six months from now.

Hi Hun our little boys had a cold 2 weeks ago with no temperature and it went for around 4 days and came back 3 days ago and now he's got a cough...is worse at night and constant so we're getting him tested xx

Do people have colds that don't result in coughs to clear the throat? You lucky people.

Dumplings I really hope its clearer by then!

Certainly the school my kids are in could be unknowingly spreading it 🙄.

I guess powers that be don't need to worry about loss of income if isolating or effect of 2 weeks off school on kids.

And I cant see most people isolating for a cold. Especially when tests are hard to get. The while thing will need reassessing by 6 months. Im hoping we'll be coming out of it by then.

On the other hand we'd all hoped it would be be over by christmas...

I had a similar issue but my lo has asthma so maybe slightly different. She gets a cough with every cold. I have now been told by 2 medical professionals that if she has a cough that is her usual one after a cold which responds to inhalers I don’t need to test or isolate. I’m not sure how school will feel about me sending her in with a cough though..

@wurlycurly why do think a continuous cough needs to be quite severe? It’s says three coughing episodes in a day. That’s mild if there are only three lots of coughing in a day.

Hmm that’s just how I interpreted it. Surely we all cough at least three times a day, ill or not. My interpretation is that it’s not a clearing a phlemy throat kind of cough they’re talking about, I think it’s a bout of sustained coughing.
If you’re very cautious you’re going to interpret any cough as a sign you need a test.
I’ve been able to book a home test now so that’s an improvement over the course of a few days!

Well my coughing 18 month old has just been tested so that his big brother can return to school

@wurlycurly

Hmm that’s just how I interpreted it. Surely we all cough at least three times a day, ill or not. My interpretation is that it’s not a clearing a phlemy throat kind of cough they’re talking about, I think it’s a bout of sustained coughing. If you’re very cautious you’re going to interpret any cough as a sign you need a test. I’ve been able to book a home test now so that’s an improvement over the course of a few days!

Everyone varies but I don't think I cough once on an average day! Maybe I don't notice.

I think a 'coughing episode' is different to a 'cough to clear your throat' but agree it is hard to distinguish.

@EggysMom

Do people have colds that don't result in coughs to clear the throat? You lucky people.

Yes definitely, in our family only one usually gets a cough. They then keep the cough for ages!

I think coughing a few times in succession is a coughing episode. Lets face it we all know the difference between ‘having a cough’ and clearing your throat a few times. If you have a cough, even as a result of a cold you should get a test IMO.