What the host should do if guest discover symptoms of COVID-19 during stay?

[Steven934]

What the host should do if guest discover symptoms of COVID-19 during stay?

The long term oversea guest is in her 5th month stay. She live in a flat that is connect to our home but with separate entrance and space exclusive for her use. Today I discovered she was dry coughing for quite sometime and this is the symptom of COVID-19. As a host shall I remain her to go and get tested or what as a host should do?

[Helen3]

Why would you assume they have Covid because they are coughing? It could be just because they have a cough, cold, sore throat, asthma etc.

particularly as you live in a country with one of the lowest Covid rates in the world @Steven934 

[Ria16]

@Steven934 

So just out of a 14 day government quarantine with a Covid test at day 3 and day 12? 
She may be lactose intolerant or could even be pet related. 
Have you asked her how she’s settling in?  It’s pretty exciting you have an overseas guest huh? 

[Steven934]

Guest moved in since July 2020 and worked as Mid-wife in Auckland. So she had long passed the quarantine but may exposed to COVID-19 due to her work.

[Helen350]

If your coughing guest is a midwife, she probably can give herself advice re her health, and what she should do, better than any of us can @Steven934 ! 🙂

[Branka-and-Silvia0]

Well, if I were your guest and get a cold, flu or covid, I would really appreciate if you would ask me how do  I feel and if I need something from the store or some medicine and if you would give me a phone number from the nearest doctor, just in case... 🙂

Just keep a distance, don't enter in her room and tell her you will not clean her room next few weeks until she feels better because yes, she may have covid.

[Steven934]

Thanks for the advise. I will send guest a message as a good will reminder about her health. Cheers,

[Sandra3910]

As you’re in NZ and your guest has been in the country for some time, it’s very unlikely to be Covid, so I wouldn’t be alarmed at all. At this time of the year it is probably an allergy that is giving her an asthmatic cough rather than Covid or the flu. I’ve been coughing over the last few days, I suspect it’s something to do with the high winds we’ve got at the moment blowing lots of pollen and pollutants in the air.  

[Steven934]

You are right. Thanks for your advise.

[Sarah977 · Accepted solution]

"this is the symptom of COVID-19. "

It is only one of the symptoms of COVID- there are varying symptoms depending on the person and some people may never have a cough with it. And as others have pointed out, someone can be coughing for various reasons.

This is not to make light of it- it needs to be taken seriously. As a host, I would ask if she needs anything from the store, so she doesn't have to go out and possibly infect someone else if she does have the virus (keep your distance, of course- leave any groceries on the doorstep), and it seems like she should be tested, unless she tells you that she has allergies or something. It is springtime/early summer in your part of the world, right?- there could be pollens in the air that are triggering allergies and if you live somewhere that's dusty, that can cause a dry cough for some people.

If it seems she should be tested for COVID, you could help make arrangements for that.

@Steven934

[Steven934]

Thanks for the advise. I will send guest a message as a friendly reminder about her health. Cheers,