Coughers

I have asthma but if I have a bad day and made arrangements to go out I cancel. You can’t enjoy food or drink if coughing continuously. Since COVID if someone coughs I think people automatically think you have COVID. I think that’s natural assumption and I don’t blame people.
Public transport is the worse environment when someone is coughing and I agree some never cover their mouths when coughing.

I think it's only natural for people to be wary of others coughing these days. Yes, people can cough for any reason , but at the very least they could cover their mouths. Same goes for sneezing - and don't even get me started on the vile specimens who spit in the street!

My DH has terrible sinuses, had an op once but didn’t improve things so he gets nose drip down the back of his throat which means he coughs a lot sometimes. He hates when it happens in restaurants etc but always coughs into his hand, often into a tissue which he then disposes of. But he does get funny looks. Once, not long after covid restrictions were lifted a huffy woman told him he should stay at home, he was even wearing a mask when masks were no longer necessary.
It can be a curse having a cough but people should catch it in their hand or cough into the crook of a raised arm. Am more annoyed by people sneezing robustly without putting a hand or tissue over their nose, men especially seem to make an exhibition of it.

Cabbie, surely thos people didn't cough out of lack of consideration! At a U3A Conference the other day, the lovely lady next to me started to cough, stopped and started again- so I handed her a cough sweet I had in my pocket (always take a few just in case) with a smile, and she stopped.

It has happened to me a couple of times at concerts or conference, and I had to walk out as discreetly as I could, which would have also disturbed all. I always have cough sweets and a small bottle of water, just in case. But it can happen to anyone.

At a recent concert I was shocked how many people were coughing constantly. It ruined the performance ( classical music). Is there no consideration for others?

Mogsmaw

My sister has a chronic asthmatic cough. She said sometimes she feels like a leper. Offers of sweets are well meaning but can feel degrading.

Ditto.

I have COPD and have had my latest barking and relentless cough for two years, I rarely socialise now, the dirty looks in restaurants have spoiled many an outing.
My cardiologist, in December 2023, said I needed an urgent respiratory appointment. I am still waiting. 😡

DH has a reflux cough. Not all coughs are due to a virus.

My sister has a chronic asthmatic cough. She said sometimes she feels like a leper. Offers of sweets are well meaning but can feel degrading.

We all cough but we don’t all cough freely over everyone else with a racking sputum laden bark !

Having a cough does not mean having a cold, or any other infection. You can be fit and well and just have some irritation or dryness in your throat that keeps you coughing.

I carry blackcurrant lozenges in my handbag, so that I have something to suck when my throat gets irritated. Water will not do the trick.

I observed a similar situation a few weeks ago; I was at a social group meeting and selected members were giving a short presentation to the audience.

One person was coughing into the microphone at the end of every sentence with no attempt to cover their mouth. The airborne particles must surely have been spraying all over those sitting in the first row of the audience as well as the microphone that she was holding which she just passed on to the next candidate when she had finished.

I was in a department store last week, first time I've been out shopping since before Christmas, there was a lady coughing right next to me and made no attempt to cover her mouth.

Hardly surprising so much flu about. I've just had 2 months off work with back problems I don't want to catch a cold or flu from people who cough all over others.

I think the problem is not the actual cough, but the fact that people don’t make any attempt to cover their mouths. I had this on a bus last week. Many people don’t seem to carry tissue or a handkerchief these days and have seemingly no thought for those around them.

I have a chronic cough. I don't know when and where it will strike, but yesterday it was when I went into a cold church. I am sure it annoys people but I genuinely can't help it and try my best to suppress it. In a restaurant I would sip water or go to the toilet until it calmed down.

Everyone gets coughs from time to time.

Maybe offering this woman a drink or a mint may have made you both feel better, at least she would have known it was bothering you,