Hospital waiting room. Rude man. Wwyhd,?

[OneSharpGoose]

Up the hospital for routine rheumatology appointment today. I have a chronic cough due to asthma and emphysema. It's not contagious but I can't wear mask because it makes my breathing worse. Wait was very long during which a man loudly and totally obliviously to all around him carried out a loud and boring Zoom call . He went on and on and got louder and louder. Everyone knew it was a £500,000 deal as he mentioned that a lot! No one not even me said anything. He was called in to see consultant. Blissful quiet. I had been coughing all this while and used my inhaler twice.( To ensure people knew it wasn't a bug as well as to help my breathing ). Another man who had been sitting near loud meeting bloke moved and sat next to me . Every time I coughed he tutted. He tutted a third time then made huge fuss about moving away to sit on seat opposite but well away from me. I said nothing. He looked at me and said loudly he didn't like people coughing in public and I explained asthma and emphysema. He said "so you say" . I rolled my eyes and he said How do we know? I replied None taken. But it has upset me greatly and I got upset at my appointment. Consultant was lovely but I wasted a lot of her time crying when I should have said something to the rude man. He didn't say anything to shouty meeting bloke. Why be nasty to someone who is obviously unwell but not contagious! What would you have done?

Omg since Covid people have lost their minds!!! People cough!!! People have immune systems!! God Id of told him to shut up being so pathetic he’s more chance of catching something touching the dirty chairs

I feel for you op. My children have asthma that mainly gives them a dry cough and it's really hard managing people's reactions sometimes. I am immune suppressed (with a condition that means I am v vulnerable to any cold) but even I think that man was an arse.

As for a £500k deal... I give those size deals to my trainers and paralegals . It reminds me of my days commuting by train where men would have to shout loudly on their phone about work so everyone knew they were important. The reality is - if you were working on something really important you wouldn't be discussing it in a public place

Coughs can be caused by so many things I don't worry about them anymore - unless I'm the one with the cough. Last year, I was on a prescription medication that's associated with chronic coughing (along with some other nasty side-effects.) I was hacking away like a forty a day smoker and getting through enough cough sweets to take out shares in Strepsils. Perhaps I was lucky, but I don't remember getting more than the occasional side-eye. I wouldn't have blamed anyone who kept their distance, but it seems that this wasn't the OP's experience. The man in question seemed to be looking for something to be aggrieved about.

I don't know much about emphysema, but I'm familiar with asthma and for some people, stress is a major aggravating factor. It's very easy for me to say this OP, but this sort of thing isn't worth risking your already compromised health for. His behaviour was much more about him than you and should be ignored.

Why did he come and sit next to you? Was he wearing a mask?

People cough for all different reasons. He was being a twat.

The OP says she explained to the man she had asthma and emphysema. Not contagious, are they?
He was just being very unpleasant.

Totally unreasonable of you to be in a hospital waiting room whilst clearly ill!

More seriously, he sounds like a real bozo. I've got fairly significant cytopenia (insufficient of all three blood cell types) due to a fairly serious blood disorder. I expect to encounter sick people whilst attending hospital clinics, and use a fairly decent face mask. I might even try and stay away from others in the waiting room. If he was worried then he should have used a facemask too and distanced himself. What I absolutely wouldn't do is be rude to other people who are clearly ill - that's just nuts.

Hope you get some sort of effective treatment for your emphysema - I don't know much about it, but it doesn't sound like a great disease to have.

If someone doesn’t like coughing in public, especially in a hospital setting, they can wear a mask. It’s not up to you to explain, OP.

To say your cough is not contagious is nonsense, how could you possibly know? Coughs expel moisture and sputum, many people with chronic lung disease have some infection most of all of the time, infection can develop quickly. Using an inhaler does not show that you have no infection.The fact that you used your inhaler twice without success can indicate a new infection. Presumably other people waiting also have condition that make them unwell, they may also have a respiratory condition and do not wish to catch another infection. It is rude, disrespectful and potentially harmful to others to sit coughing. regardless of the reason, the best thing to have done would have been to remove yourself from the waiting area, clear your cough and then return, you would not have lost your place in the queue.

I have no idea. There were empty seats available well away from me. I had chosen to sit away from the crowded seats as I know my cough is irritating. So he made a deliberate choice. I think that's what surprised/upset me as I know it's not pleasant for anyone. ( Including me).

When it's an asthmatic or emphysemic cough there is no end. You can't just clear it.
People seem to have gone mad

He looked at me and said loudly he didn't like people coughing in public and I explained asthma and emphysema. He said "so you say" . I rolled my eyes and he said How do we know?
You should have given him a fixed stare and said
'You don't'
And then coughed