Can I go to the doctors for a cough ?

[Charley198]

I have a cough and a really tight chest, I have had it since Monday. I've done 2 negative LFTs and have no other covid symptoms. I'm going away on Monday and my nephew is currently on day 8 of isolation because a pcr test carried out on his classmate last week has still not been processed (Yr 6 so missed his last week at school based on this childs positive LFT, such a shame).
I'm worried if I go for a pcr I'll be isolating till I get results which I'm pretty certain will be negative, and I have so much to do before my hols.
Equally I don't want to not be seen as I do feel that I have a chest infection coming.
Would I get to see a Dr for this or would they enforce a negative pcr beforehand?
And am I being unreasonable by not going for a pcr?
Never sure when LFT is acceptable.

I really hope you’ve not been out and about this week, when you should be isolating. If you don’t get a PCR test, you should isolate for 10 days since symptoms began, then your doctor may see you after the 10 days, but I expect they will still want you to do a PCR test.

The lateral flows do work wheh there are symptoms

You can't expect a whole family to isolate every time someone gets a cough but has a negative home test!!

Unlikely it's covid (due to hike test) but get a PCR to be sure

You should have tested on Monday.

You have pretty classic symptoms, and without a negative test, it's 10 days isolation with first symptomatic day counting as day zero.

So you need to isolate until (and including) Thurs 29th.

Yes, I think you should ring your GP, as they will confirm it, and having been told by a doctor to isolate, then you must.

Please begin your isolation immediately if you haven't already.

As you are unwilling to take PCR, you can just do the right thing and do the 10 days.

@Remmy123

The lateral flows do work wheh there are symptoms

You can't expect a whole family to isolate every time someone gets a cough but has a negative home test!!

Unlikely it's covid (due to hike test) but get a PCR to be sure

This is so not true. I know so many people who have had negative lateral flow and positive pcr. I wish people would started to realise how crap lateral flow tests are!!

You can't expect a whole family to isolate every time someone gets a cough but has a negative home test!

Get a cough, get a PCR

This is just about the only remaining it of infection control advice there is. It's like people want the rates to go sky high, with all the problems that brings.

And this is why the virus keeps spreading.

If you have a cough and a tight chest you should do a PCR test and isolate

If that test comes back negative, then contact your GP.

Seriously, the first think the GP would suggest is that you take a PCR test if you haven't already.

Yes, I think some PCR tests are taking a day longer than usual, which is why you should do one ASAP.

No wonder GPS are still insisting on phoning patients before seeing them face to face!

This is a joke, right?

I caught covid last week and 2 people with worse symptoms than mine had negative LFTs but were positive and really really ill.

LFT is too unreliable to be used to confirm whether your cough is covid
Should have done a PCR when symptoms started so you'd better go and get one done now

You’ve got a cough so should already be isolating and getting a PCR. The doctors will probably ask that you e done that. If you had got one when you first had a cough you would have had the results by now.

I can’t believe people still don’t know to get a PCR.
As a HCP it’s ridiculous the amount of people who phone and say ‘but I don’t need a test, I haven’t got Covid’ Errr, you have symptoms, get a test!

The answer is no. I have recently had a chest infection. It was a bloody nightmare. Had two negative PCR tests (had recently travelled so had them anyway) but due to the way you now access the GP via an econsult first they wouldn’t see me.

Had to go to A&E in the end due to going round in cuticles with my GP and 111.

LTFs aren't as good as PCRs so they are useful for asymptomatic people as they would never have had known they needed PCR but they are not good enough to rule out covid in someone with symptoms. .

You need a PCR, you should have known this and done it already. You also need to isolate until results so no you cannot see doctor.

what could the doctors do?

Thanks all. To clarify I work from home so haven't been anywhere anyway this week where I've been in contact with people and my food shops are always delivered. I have been out for a walk late in the evening every day.
I have a pcr booked for 8am this morn at a local test centre.
Thanks for the advice and sorry that I've been foolish.

You really have no isolate. Hopefully you booked one in the end and can get an appointment this morning. If not, you may be able to get an appointment still this morning. That way you'll know by in the early hours. Use today for packing/putting items aside. Hopefully that will leave a few hours over the weekend to buy any last minute essentials. If you're working over the weekend, most items can be ordered online for quick delivery.

Your GP will tell you to get a PCR test. As explained above, LFT's are fairly useless but if used by a large amount of the population they can be good in picking up asymptomatic cases that otherwise would never have been caught. That's not to say they will pick up every asymptomatic case, there will be many false negatives. But it's better to pick up a percentage no matter how small than pick up none at all and have those people unknowingly spreading. PCR is much more reliable, hence the need to do one when you present with symptoms. I understand it can be quite confusing but please take the advice from this thread and also the government website and get yourself PCR tested.

Get a PCR test and stop running around infecting others with whatever you've got. You're being selfish because of your holiday, you know very well what you ought to do.

LFT finds a proportion of asymptomatic cases and it's useful for being quick plus better than nothing. It also finds the highest viral load, so is most likely to identify dangerous superspreaders. You need a full test because you have symptoms. (And a GP won't usually do anything about a cough with no other symptoms for 3 weeks minimum, viruses don't respond to antibiotics.)

Sorry, just seen your last post. You'll probably get the result around midnight. Hopefully negative, and you can enjoy yourself without having to worry.

Sorry, cross-posted. Good that you're off for a test.

Also you won’t have to wait long - your PCR result usually comes back within 24 hrs (ish). Though as I say, even with a negative it’s still practically impossible to get an appointment anyway.

So (and I’m going to get lynched) if you do get a negative and think you have a chest infection - do you have any spare antibiotics knocking around (I wished I had as 4hrs in a non ventilated A&E was likely just as risky as the infection itself).

You and your household should be isolating anyway because you have a new cough. And get a bloody PCR test! No you can’t go to the doctor with a cough until a PCR test has ruled out covid. FFS people being selfish and not wanting to isolate because they have things to do is part of why cases are skyrocketing.

So (and I’m going to get lynched) if you do get a negative and think you have a chest infection - do you have any spare antibiotics knocking around (I wished I had as 4hrs in a non ventilated A&E was likely just as risky as the infection itself).

Ridiculous advice. No one should have antibiotics lying around because they should finish the course. Not take half a course, keep some around, then take another half course later for some self diagnosed illness.

do you have any spare antibiotics knocking around there shouldn't be any spare as the course needs to be finished or if you have an allergy they should be returned to the pharmacy for destruction.