Barking cough?

[PastMyBestBeforeDate]

Ds sounds like a seal and has a bocked nose. It was running and he did have a sore throat. He's fully vaccinated. He's 11 and maybe a bit tired but no temperature.
He's testing negative. We have tests because I am immunosuppressed and CEV. We have dodged covid so far.
Could he have covid? Just not badly enough to turn a test positive? Or could it be croup after a cold?

Does he have hayfever at all? Only at that age both I and my dc had what was described as an "asthmatic cough" as a result of hayfever. Controlled by salbutamol and antihistamines.

No he doesn't have hayfever. I suppose he might have it very mildly and the very dry, warm weather might be exposing it. He has been sleeping on the floor (his request) because it's cooler than his cabin bed so some kind of allergic response might be happening. I shall give him some antihistamine later.

When did his symptoms start? My LFT didn't turn positive for a couple of days even though i was sure it was covid as DH had already had a positive test (and half his office is off with it). Could it be that he just hasnt had his symptoms long enought yet? On one of the other threads, someone was saying this new variant is taking longer to show as positive. Neither of us have a temp - our symptoms are sore throat and headache, then runny nose, cough and muscle aches.

Barking cough is croup. Not everything is covid.

Yorkshire He started coughing Monday but it was a more normal cough. Negative test every morning since. Then yesterday the barking started.

Yoda Well yes, that's why I mentioned croup. And obviously not everything is covid but any infectious like covid is a risk to me. Covid is the most prevalent infectious illness at the moment.

My youngest gets endless colds and often gets a seal sounding barking cough. It's different to croup sound, which we have luckily never experienced. Obviously no one here can hear what type of cough your little one has, so if you are concerned, record it and play to the doctors.

He's not so little Starlings so I fear the GP won't be very interested! It may be a bit of croup after a cold or hay-fever has irritated his throat.

Sounds like croup

Isn’t he a bit old for croup? I think they grow out of it once the voice box hardens when they’re around 7.

Well I thought 11 was old for it Prisoner but nothing else other than croup or covid came up when I Googled!.

I think they grow out of croup and then its just bog standard laryngitis which also results in a barky cough but isn't as dangerous as the larynx has hardened so cant be compressed by the swelling. I remember DD having croup and being terrified because she could breathe properly

Sounds like croup if the cough is barking / like a seal

I had something similar. It was dry and painful on my chest. I tested negative for covid but I've never had a cold like it. It felt a bit like flu. Completely lost my sense of taste and smell, which has never happened before. 4 weeks later my sense of smell hasn't completely returned and I'm still coughing. The coughing loosened up after about 5 days.
I can't help thinking it was covid that the old lfts didn't pick up. But I guess I'll never know.

Ah that's sounding similar Marsha. He's loosened up now and it's productive.

Thank you for the explanation Prisoner that makes sense. Neither of mine have been croupy but have scared me silly in other ways!

Just tested positive for Covid and had originally thought it was laryngitis which I've suffered from quite regularly throughout my adult life (had croup as a child)

The Covid cough is almost the same for me - very regular especially if I get up and about and sharp/barking. Accompanied by cold type symptoms which again I do get with laryngitis. Would be very easy to assume one or the other without a definite test result.

Hope your DS is ok OP. Must be very worrying for you.

Thanks Parka. I hope you don't suffer too much with it.
We've not had any positive tests at all and apart from a couple of snotty days, none of the rest of us have had any symptoms. If it was covid, we've done awfully well at either not catching it or fighting it off.

My son has been poorly with croup a few times. Last year, age 9, he had it. The paramedic (his breathing was so bad that we had to call an ambulance) told us that covid can present itself as croup in small children.

Hopefully it's not that serious though.
Hope your son feels better soon

I had Cancer vid in Feb 2020, before we were supposed to be able to get it. My main symptom was barking like a seal cough. I assumed it was a croup like infection until I lost my sense of smell for 3 months so presumed it was Covid. Through my job I was tested for antibodies and confirmed I had had Covid.
Many of us had it in front line medical professions well before the main outbreak.
I would assume it is Covid if he hasn’t had it before and take the necessary precautions.

It could also be whooping cough. If he’s been vaccinated it doesn’t progress to the prolonged ( 80 day cough).
DS’s year and the year above all came down with it in year 3 and year 4. They had all been competing in a house swimming competition which was probably a spreading event one Friday and by the Monday all but 2 out of a year of 40 were off sick.

It sounds like croup. Steam, humidity really help. Dry some towels in his bedroom and make him sit in a steamy shower or bath. If it's raining, stand him in the doorway.

betty, thank you. He is almost over it now.

Angrymum yes vaccinated to schedule. Fortunately he had all the regular childhood illnesses or jabs before I was poorly. And for being in the front line. It's been about 10 days since it started. We were careful for a week.

decluttering he's OK now and it's an occasional chesty cough.

At one point I had a barking cough but it did pass

There's part of me that wonders if, after 30 months of worry we've had covid in the house and not noticed!

10yo DS has had a cough for nearly 3 months now, gone from a tic like throat clearing to a fully barking croupy cough (he used to get awful croup when small). Gp doesn't know what it is. He's been covid negative the whole time, and the only one in the house not to test positive at Christmas. Gp couldn't find an infection but gave him antibiotics just in case after 2 months. He's been taking a daily otc antihistamine and using a nasal antihistamine spray for the last month in case it's a post nasal drip (no other hayfever/allergy symptoms) but the cough has just got worse. We're on holidays but I've an appointment when we get back to see if there are any other ideas. He's fine in himself, just irritated and annoyed with this cough. He's fully covid vaxxed and whooping cough too. Sorry to hijack, @PastMyBestBeforeDate , but @Angrymum22 ,should I be asking the gp about whopping cough?