25 Tweets About Explaining Our Coughs In An Age Of Covid

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Before the Covid-19 pandemic, a cough was just a cough. Now, it’s a source of panic, dread and frantic looks from strangers – even glares.

Of course, it’s important to take a test if you suspect you might have Covid or start showing symptoms. But people also cough for a variety of reasons – allergies, asthma, the common cold or even just inhaling something you shouldn’t have. The same goes for other common Covid symptoms, like fatigue or headaches.

Still, many of us are used to immediately offering a reason for coughing or sneezing every time it happens in public. And some have turned to Twitter to muse about this new (ish) reality.

Below, we’ve rounded up 25 relatable tweets about the struggle of showing any symptoms in the age of Covid.

The last 10 months has mostly been me interrupting conversations to explain that “this is not a Covid cough, it’s a weed cough. I swear.”
— Rae Sanni (@raesanni) January 26, 2021

currently at the airport — how do I explain that my cough is from racing an 800 on an extremely dry indoor track and not COVID? asking 4 a friend
— Gina McNamara (@genebean14) January 23, 2022

Me right now:
•Is this stuffy nose & cough from lack of moisture in the air, or COVID?
•Are these body aches from getting my butt kicked at physical therapy, or COVID?
•Am I tired because of my latest stretch of insomnia, or COVID?

This is a fun game 🙃
— cass. (@cassandratomm) January 4, 2022

trying to conceal my NOT COVID cough like it’s a zombie bite
— liz hynes (@anticapitalizm) August 14, 2021

I'm at the car wash having a Coke Zero while I wait for my car to be ready. Does "wrong pipe" work as a way to explain to people that I'm only coughing because as an adult I still haven't mastered the act of drinking liquids? I'm getting Covid stares all around.
— Matt Walker (@funnymatt) May 23, 2021

Is it omicron or delta or your period or a cold or flu or allergies or anxiety or long covid or perimenopause or food poisoning or migraine or a tumor (“it’s not a tumor”) or PTSD or parenting is just so hard lolol or too much sitting and screen time and stress or IS IT COVID or
— Farah Miller (@farahlearned) December 19, 2021

I farted in a Pilates class and immediately felt the need to explain to everyone that it’s not Covid.
— Kyle Ocasio (@OcasioKyle) June 7, 2022

I just swallowed my saliva down the wrong pipe and I’m on a plane and I’m trying so hard not to cough cause I don’t want to scare ppl I’m freaking out I’m gonna cough
— Yeroc (@ItsCoreyScherer) November 28, 2020

If people could stop cutting their grass so I don’t need to explain that I don’t have COVID thanks 🤧 - hayfever life 😫..
— Jade Stewart (@littlejaixo) June 15, 2020

One of my biggest fears right now is being at a crowded restraunt and taking a sip of water and it going down the wrong pipe and having to violently cough for a minute. But trying to assure people “wrong pipe wrong pipe.” As I cough.
— Jeff Wild (@jiffywild) March 7, 2020

how do I explain that, no, it's not a covid cough, I just don't know how to swallow my own spit
— Kenny-Finch (@plkdtjllybp) October 30, 2020

Do I explain my cough today by sounding pretentious and blaming it on the 5k I ran this morning, or do I let people assume I’m the super spreader at the table?

Happy Thanksgiving!
— Trysten Garcia (@TrystenTweets) November 25, 2021

So rude of this virus to hit during spring pollen season, forcing us all to wake up every morning and play 'regular allergies or Covid-19'
— Poison Ivy #1 Out Now (@GWillowWilson) March 27, 2020

Covid symptoms are tough for me. Like “are you tired?” Yes all the time “Short of breath, coughing?” Well ya probably from ripping cigs “Headache?” Ya, but I’m pretty sure that’s just a hangover
— Nick Watts (@internwatts) June 26, 2020

Covid be making me fee like I have to explain every cough or sneeze😭😭
— Brett Walker (@breezyonthetrac) August 15, 2020

love not cleaning my car for months bc I wasn't driving it, leading to dust building up inside, meaning that just as I pull up to work I start hacking and coughing and have to try to explain that it's not covid
— i bless the rains down in castamere (@Chinchillazllla) February 8, 2021

is my headache from dehydration, being tired, allergies, the fact that i ate two and a half cinnamon buns today, or COVID???? there’s really no way to know for sure
— Matt Bellassai (@MattBellassai) February 2, 2021

Meeting with people over Zoom and still feeling like I need to explain my cough isn't covid
— A Shy Llama 🦙 🦙 🦙 (@Shailanase) January 4, 2022

Over here we're entering the season where I feel like I need to carry a sign: "I don't have Covid, I just have pollen allergies and/or can't drink water competently"
— Celeste Ng (@pronounced_ing) April 6, 2022

Is it allergies? Is it my period? Is it covid? Is it my anxiety? Is it all of the above?

I hate this game 😩
— Jasmyn (@JasmynBeKnowing) June 1, 2022

Is it a COVID headache, a stress headache, a hunger headache, a hangover headache, or a headache headache?
— it's me (@LxMo) December 18, 2020

me trying to explain to people that my cough isn't covid but that I've had shit lungs since January 2020 for an unknown reason and that it's probably my ME.
— teona | they/them ♿ (@tee_spoonie) September 10, 2021

In a Five Guys having to explain to everyone I’m coughing because I got Cajun fry dust in my throat and not COVID
— ItsThisGuyAgain on the Internet (@ItsThisGuyAgain) January 12, 2022

I have a cold (and two negative Covid tests) but I feel compelled to explain myself to everyone so they don’t freak out. Side note - sneezing in a mask is not fun.
— Kristen Adamo (@Kadamo) September 20, 2021

Sorry about my cough. No, it’s not covid, it’s from screaming into the void.
— 𝓶 ♡ (@Love_bug1016) August 12, 2020

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