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Original poster

Freaking out please help me calm down

147 replies

Freak1ng0ut · 20/05/2021 21:23

I had to go into office the office today because we are being asked to come back- was very uncomfortable but went in at 9- sat there with masks on etc...there was an idiot yes I’ve called him an idiot as he sat in front coughing the whole time I was there. In these times do I need to say how anxiety inducing this is for snorkel person let alone someone like me who suffers from anxiety. My vaccine appointment is next week so not vaccinated- he was facing in front and I was behind him - both wearing masks
I’ve attached a bad diagram but sat here freaking out that he has passed on something to me...possibly Covid

Freaking out please help me calm down
OP posts:
PinkSparklyIncorrigibleDunce · 20/05/2021 23:24

What do you expect to happen? There will be lots of people like me...

Yes there will be but you can’t expect those of us who cough all the time to not go anywhere in case we upset someone! Thankfully everyone has been fine when I explain about hay fever but I still worry about coming across someone who isn’t.

purpleme12 · 20/05/2021 23:25

Well I would just ask him
Then you've got the answer

If he says he's had one and it's negative, brilliant and can't see any reason why he'd object to being asked
And if he says he hasn't like you think is the case then you're proved right so you can take action like you want to and be justified in that action

aprilherewecome · 20/05/2021 23:25

how do you know he's not done a lateral flow test? there's coughs and colds doing the rounds at the moment. I've being at work all day and out in the community as part of my job with a cough/ sore throat. I don't think he's an idiot for having a cough and going into work. People cough all the time for all sorts of reasons.

Original poster
Freak1ng0ut · 20/05/2021 23:30

It’s become A very divisive forum

I’ve had the jab you haven’t - anti vaxxer
Ive gone to work you worked from home - get a grip
No empathy no understanding

I understand people cough- it’s a bodily function

But if it was me in an open plan office - where the people are slowly trickling in after working from home coughing for solid 4 hours (how long I was there) I would send an email to the ones around me to say it’s not anything to worry about.

Given the times, common courtesy

OP posts:
Eilethya · 20/05/2021 23:30

I despair.

MrsEricBana · 20/05/2021 23:32

What the hell? Of course OP is not unreasonable to be concerned about sitting in close proximity to someone with a cough of unknown cause when we're in the throes of a respiratory pandemic, the most obvious symptom of which is coughing. As others have said OP, you are more than justified in asking him for some reassurance, which he would have provided already if he had any sense.

SmidgenofaPigeon · 20/05/2021 23:37

Why the hell did you ask people in your title to help calm you down then?!

You should have said ‘freaking out- please collude with me in my ridiculous hysteria’

Original poster
Freak1ng0ut · 20/05/2021 23:39

Thanks @MrsEricBana will do that along with the lft tomorrow

@SmidgenofaPigeon why are you reading this and making yourself hysterical? You know mumsnet have other threads??

OP posts:
RevolvingPivot · 20/05/2021 23:40

[quote Freak1ng0ut]@userxx no I’m not. I’m trying to think rationally but some posts are sounding as if the pandemic/Covid never happened.

The government used fear as a tool, we were bombarded with news/graphs/posters about this for a whole year.

What do you expect to happen? There will be lots of people like me...[/quote]
I don't think posters are acting as though it never happened. I think they are trying to reassure you and do what you asked: Help you calm down.

purpleme12 · 20/05/2021 23:40

You're not coming across well OP
But I'm not sure you're going to take that on board anyway
I'm sorry you're finding it hard but it would be useful to listen to what people are saying here
A lot of people haven't been rude on the thread

ResIpsaLoquiturInterAlia · 20/05/2021 23:40

Original poster perhaps to help get yourself Covid tested. This will hopefully give you some piece of mind and lessen the impact of your (understandable) anxiety. Unless you are in an Indian variant hot spot and therefore should be subject to more risk mitigation measures, you should be relatively safe. Have you approached the idiot to ask if he is too ill (or very recently Covid tester) to be in a shared indoor space given the pandemic environment? Perhaps you need to advise him that his coughing is having a concerning impact on you.

SmidgenofaPigeon · 20/05/2021 23:41

I’m not convinced this isn’t just a goady thread to be honest. If it’s real then you need to work on your attitude as well as your anxiety.

userxx · 20/05/2021 23:42

@SmidgenofaPigeon

Why the hell did you ask people in your title to help calm you down then?!

You should have said ‘freaking out- please collude with me in my ridiculous hysteria’

Yep. It's batshit.. I want to feel worse than I do already, please help me do that.

Just why!

Op, maybe speak to your GP about managing your anxiety or give it a few weeks and then see how you feel. I'm pretty sure WFH for the past year and watching all the shit on tv has not helped your state of mind one bit.

PinkSparklyIncorrigibleDunce · 20/05/2021 23:45

Have you approached the idiot to ask if he is too ill (or very recently Covid tester) to be in a shared indoor space given the pandemic environment? Perhaps you need to advise him that his coughing is having a concerning impact on you.

So because he coughs he's an idiot?

RevolvingPivot · 20/05/2021 23:49

@PinkSparklyIncorrigibleDunce

Have you approached the idiot to ask if he is too ill (or very recently Covid tester) to be in a shared indoor space given the pandemic environment? Perhaps you need to advise him that his coughing is having a concerning impact on you.

So because he coughs he's an idiot?

That is what the op labelled him as in her diagram.
Original poster
Freak1ng0ut · 20/05/2021 23:49

I think I have taken the advice on board

I will do a lft tomorrow
Ask him if he is okay tomorrow

I still think if you are troubled by my post it might be better that you don’t respond?

OP posts:
SmidgenofaPigeon · 20/05/2021 23:51

You do know it’s a public forum- it’s not just there to provide responses you want and agree with. They’d not how it works Confused

userxx · 20/05/2021 23:52

@Freak1ng0ut

I think I have taken the advice on board

I will do a lft tomorrow
Ask him if he is okay tomorrow

I still think if you are troubled by my post it might be better that you don’t respond?

Righto 🙄

PinkSparklyIncorrigibleDunce · 20/05/2021 23:53

Apologies @RevolvingPivot, I misread your post.

OP, I'm not sure what you want from this post. People have tried to reassure you but now you're saying if you are 'troubled' (presumably meaning don't agree) don't respond.

Howmanysleepsnow · 20/05/2021 23:53

I’ve worked in a patient facing role in A&E throughout and not caught covid: everyone had masks (patients and staff) and hand washing/ cleaning was plentiful. Like in your office ventilation is minimal (no windows, just air con).
I currently have a horrendous cough (and negative pcr and LFTs) after a night in paeds with lots of kids with respiratory illnesses (and negative PCRs) but no masks (due to the age of patients).
This shows (anecdotally) that masks and hand washing offer a decent level of protection, and that it’s perfectly possible the idiot had done a pcr and is negative/ hasn’t done a pcr but has something other than covid.
With current covid rates his cough is way more likely to be caused by something else anyway.

RevolvingPivot · 20/05/2021 23:58

@PinkSparklyIncorrigibleDunce

Apologies *@RevolvingPivot*, I misread your post.

OP, I'm not sure what you want from this post. People have tried to reassure you but now you're saying if you are 'troubled' (presumably meaning don't agree) don't respond.

It wasn't me you tagged / quoted

I was just letting you know.

Original poster
Freak1ng0ut · 20/05/2021 23:58

@Howmanysleepsnow thank you! That really helps and is reassuring

OP posts:
Onthegrapevine · 21/05/2021 05:59

Shocking that you are being told to “get a grip.”

Unfortunately this is the sort of naivety that will continue to cause problems for the rest of us.

Yes, you could absolutely catch something in this situation because this is precisely how covid spreads. It’s airborne.

However, cases are LOW and the chance of him actually having it are slim, so don’t worry.

Personally I’d have spoke to to HR immediately & said there’s sometime coughing their lungs up, they need to leave & get tested.

supersonicginandtonic · 21/05/2021 06:06

Oh for goodness sake. Get some help with your anxiety.
I cough with my hay fever. DD1 has tonsillitis whixh has also given her a cough and DD2 has an asthmatic cough. None of us are idiots and deserve to go about our lives without being judged by people like you.
DD1 coughed in the supermarket he other day and a lady looked at her like she'd shouted that she had a bomb, it's really not on anymore:
Make yourself a GP appointment and sort your anxiety out so the poor colleague can go to work without being called an idiot.

Mindymomo · 21/05/2021 06:55

I would be the same in your situation, but then I always have been against people coming in to work when they had a pre covid cough or cold. It sounds like you get on with your Line Manager and can talk to him.