Are people just going out with symptoms now…?

[Dandy008]

Went out with DC and a friend this morning.
We started off in local soft play and went to a family pub for lunch.

The soft play was literally full of kids who more than half of them were coughing.
Adults were coughing too.

At first I thought I was just being a bit hyper vigilant, until my friend mentioned it to me and said she felt uncomfortable.

We headed to the pub for lunch and to our surprise, it was the same there only this time it was more adults coughing.

It wasn’t even the same people,

I know it’s that time of year and we have to expect colds etc, but surely if you’re coughing, with a continuous cough, during a pandemic, then you would stay at home… 🤷🏻‍♀️

My DD has had a hacking cough for weeks and weeks. Often even once the cold is gone the cough just stays for ages.

We’ve been told over and over again that even with Covid you are almost certainly no longer infectious from 10-14 days ish, but that symptoms such as the cough and loss of taste can persist much longer. Surely the same goes for colds too?
Honestly, whenever I get a bad cough it drags and drags. I’ve absolutely been keeping myself and DC at home and not socialising when we have bad colds, particularly at the start, but then you reach the point where you are better but your cough remains as your throat is just irritated.

Do people think coughs have only been around for two years? Everyone got a cough cos we've all been kept inside for two years!

I still think it’s disgusting covid or not. If I have a bad cough I stay at home.

I’ve had a continuous cough for 3 weeks now.
I’d actually love to stay home for 3 weeks as I’m a hermit at heart but unfortunately I can’t.
The world doesn’t stop when you have a cough.

There is a bug going around and one of the symptoms is a cough. Of course some people will not have taken a PCR but the majority will have.

I actually disagree that children are sent to school with awful coughs & colds and are “perfectly well”. So many parents are too selfish to keep them at home to let them get properly well.

Equally schools mostly make a big deal about attendance.
Last academic year (when isolating for households and bubbles was a thing) DC school still had awards for attendance which I thought was ridiculous

@Franklin12

Agreed. If you are coughing continuously in a public place, wear a mask it’s good manners.

@SkankingMopoke

There's a lot going about. DD1 caught the cough that was/is doing the rounds at school about 3.5 weeks ago. She was tested (negative), but is still coughing now. Are you suggesting I should have contained her in the house for the last 3.5 weeks to OP? The poor kid is prone to coughs, and would barely leave the house if she had to isolate for the entire time every cough lasted. DH has since caught it, tested negative, and is back at work etc despite the coughing. I am just beginning to get snotty, so I suspect I will be next in line. We can't all remove ourselves from society until a common cold has run through the family (DD2 is currently unscathed).

Yes this is the point isn’t it. If a cough just lasted a few days then yes, stay home.. but they don’t. My kids are usually coughing for half of the winter.

I find it much better when you are in child friendly places and people don’t look twice at you when your child starts coughing because they all are (like you, it’s been weeks and weeks for my DD. Should I keep her locked up until Christmas?). Then you open random MN threads where someone is outraged because someone dared to cough in the office or something and I feel like I like on a different planet to some people.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/cough/

"A cough will usually clear up on its own within 3 to 4 weeks."

YES I realise my kids are coughing, YES we've all had negative PCRs, YES in a perfect world we'd all stay at home until fully recovered

BUT this isn't a perfect world and I have two boys who need exercise and fresh air and since we've followed all the rules - including holding them down crying while we swabbed them, thanks BoJo - I'm now going to let them have an actual childhood and leave the house to play.

And no, I'm not going to apologise because jesus christ my non-Covid-infected kids deserve to be able go to the playground after the past 18 months of hell.

And anyone who pulls a face at me is going to get a mouthful, so there!

@Northernsoullover

I wouldn't inflict a cough on anyone. Covid or not.

Do you're isolating and taking time off work with a cough that's not covid? Crazy.

I thought I was responsible last year not sending my dc's in when unwell.
Then I got the attendance phone calls...
Can't do right for doing wrong.

@Dandy008

*Are you honestly suggesting anyone who tests negative should still stay indoors??*

@PinkWaferBiscuit

Nope, not suggesting this.
I just think if you’re coughing, and I mean coughing so continuously that it’s blatantly obvious you’re unwell, then the most considerate thing to do is to stay at home. Covid or not.

Are you suggesting that people who pose zero risk of covid should stay home because the perception that the pose a risk of covid might make someone nervous? That seems a bit much.

Do you know how many germs live in a soft play OP?! If you're that scared of coughs and colds perhaps don't frequent a germ riddled ocean of plastic and foam

Oh my god. Coughs exist, they’ve existed since the dawn of time. The vast majority of coughs aren’t covid. In fact, I’ve had covid twice now & not had a cough either time! Kids get colds & coughs. They have longgggg before covid & they will long after we stop worrying about it.

Honestly, if you are worried about germs, don’t go to softplay & a pub in half term. Covid is probably the least of your worries 😂 Frankly, I’d take covid over a sick bug any day.

I've had a cough pretty much constantly since my kids went back to school, as have they! I've lost count of PCRs we've done (all negative) But I do wear a mask so I suppose that helps a little bit.

Coughs can last up to 3 weeks, do you seriously think people should take all that time off work, school, nursery, general life?

DD is 3, she has a cough. She's been off nursery mon-wed as she was ill but is now completely well in herself but still coughing. 2 covid tests have come back negative. So yes, we've been going out today.

[quote Treblebass]**@QueenofKattegat

All for people cracking on but there’s a difference between “a cough” and a non stop, hacking cough where you don’t even come up for air.

Reminds me of even pre covid when you get stuck next to said person in a theatre or somewhere similar. Filthy!!

I’ve worked as a support worker throughout covid, and I absolutely wouldn’t be in work with an infectious cough. Covid or not. Thanks.[/quote]
@QueenofKattegat But even with her asthma my DD can be hacking away because of change in temperature or postnasal drip (as I said) or because she drank her drink too quickly or because the food was a bit too big and caught her on the way down (she has swallowing issues as well). If she's having negative tests I take her out, live doesn't stop because you have a cold otherwise I'd never be working.

I have a cold, it makes me cough. I have hayfever, it makes me cough. I have asthma, it makes me wheezy and cough. Coughing has been around longer than covid...

I’ve had a cold and constant coughing negative pcr ! My daughter and son both coughing we are all negative ! Bumped into 2 people they also had coughs it’s viral infection that’s doing the rounds !!

@YourThoughtsOn
Of course they haven’t tested properly. Everyone I know who “has a cold” are going about as normal because it’s just a cold - and definitely not covid. A few might have done a lateral flow but most people (as evident on mumsnet) do not understand about testing and not realise that a snotty nose might actually be covid.

Maybe you could tell the government this. The website for booking a pcr still only has three symptoms (cough, temp,loss of smell) and they are not the symptoms of a cold.
Lateral flow tests don't always give a correct result and also not early enough to stop the spread.

Post viral coughs can last up to 12 weeks according to the GP I saw this week.

I have been out coughing but am testing (PCR) several times a week.

What irks me is people who cough and don't cover their mouths. COVER YOUR MOUTHS EVEN IF YOU HAVE A MASK ON FFS.

Did you think this before March 2020? I remember many many trips to concerts, pantos etc and you would hear people cough all the time. Who honestly cares

I have had Covid. Clear now even had blood test follow ups etc. (I'm a key worker). However I am left with a dry cough and the odd sneezing fit. My son has also kept the cough for several weeks after Covid.

TheHalloweenWitchGhost

The quote isn't my post. I think somebody was replying to me by @'ing me on the thread. My post is actually the total opposite of the one quoted.

If you are genuinely that worried about catching Covid, why on earth are you going to soft play and the pub? Soft play is probably a great way to spread Covid.

@HappyPumpkin81

If I didn’t go out when either myself, or my child, had cold symptoms we would not leave the house between October and May.

Same here. It's impossible.

My DS has had a cough near enough the last 8 weeks, its worse when hes running around. We have done 3 pcrs over the last couple of months so we go out as normal 🤷🏻‍♀️. Pre covid people wouldnt have batted an eye lid its part and parcel of having a young child.