# I suspect colleague has Covid - persistent cough - what to do?



## Setanta12 (24 Sep 2020)

Its all in the title, I'm afraid.  I usually WFH but am in the office today and usually twice a week.

Persistent cough - 7 / 8 times a cough sneaking out, which seemingly could be rasper coughs but he fights them down.  (I'm 1.5m away but was closer twice for a minute each time). 

He's new to the office, I don't really know him... he only WFH once a week and is out to the pub most evenings ..

Actually 8 / 9 times now ... ... ...


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## Prosper (24 Sep 2020)

Did you ask him about it?


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## Setanta12 (24 Sep 2020)

No.

But we're onto 9/10 times now.


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## WolfeTone (24 Sep 2020)

If he can work from home he should be told to do so because he is displaying symptoms. 
If he can't work from home, your Covid worker representative should be informed, and the worker should be told to stay at home and isolate, call GP, and ideally get a test.


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## Leo (24 Sep 2020)

Speak to a manager, your employer has a duty of care which they should have been reminded of recently.


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## Setanta12 (24 Sep 2020)

Done.   He blames bronchitis.

Thanks to all who replied.


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## Leo (24 Sep 2020)

Setanta12 said:


> Done.   He blames bronchitis.



If it turns out to be COVID you can now sue him


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## EmmDee (24 Sep 2020)

Setanta12 said:


> Done.   He blames bronchitis.
> 
> Thanks to all who replied.



This annoys me - unless he's a doctor he might think it's bronchitis but he still should isolate and get tested. In fact, even a doctor wouldn't say "Ahhh - don't worry it's probably bronchitis". I know someone who went to the doctor with a cough. They wouldn't even let them into the surgery - sent them off for testing and told them to come back after.

The advice is "If you have symptoms..." not "If you think you might have Covid..."


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## Clamball (25 Sep 2020)

It’s a dilemma, if he does have bronchitis, is being treated by his GP and is Covid negative.  

I tend to get chest infections which leave me with a persistent cough for weeks afterwards.   I have already asked my workplace what should I do if this happens this winter.  I assume after my GP does the whole Covid testing, treating the chest infection I am free to go to the office as my workplace wants us back in.  So am I to sit at my desk coughing my lungs out for a few weeks?  What do I say to my colleagues?  I don’t necessarily want to share personal medical info with them so are they going to freak out?  And even worse we share office space with another company, what will they think?  

My company had no answer, they definitely did not want to say continue to work from home until the cough disappears, which is what I thought would be the best option.  The only weak response I got was that they would deal with non Covid illness but with Covid like symptoms when the situation arose.


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## Leo (25 Sep 2020)

Clamball said:


> The only weak response I got was that they would deal with non Covid illness but with Covid like symptoms when the situation arose.



Yeah, that is weak! This situation is going to arise in pretty much every office setting as the colder weather sets in. Management should have had plenty of time to figure out how they'll deal with it by now.


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