Washington Post Some doctors say lingering coughs are worse than usual this winter. Others say post-pandemic patients are just more aware of coughing.
Coughs are common during every winter virus season. But this year it seems like more people than usual are complaining about a cough that just won’t go away.
Cathy Conger, 60, who works at a vintage furniture store in Washington, said she’s had a persistent cough for a month now after traveling over the holidays. She often wakes up coughing in the middle of the night. “I’m probably going to just keep the bowl of cough drops by my bed,” she said.
Adam Tampio, a 16-year-old who lives in Alexandria, Va., said he’s had “a really bad cough” since he caught a cold in the middle of December.
On social media — TikTok, Bluesky and Threads — people are also commiserating about their persistent coughs. Bryan Jun, 26, who lives in New York, complained about his lingering cough on TikTok last month, in a video that’s garnered more than 7 million views. “I’m coughing in Georgia,” wrote one viewer. “Everyone is coughing in New Jersey,” wrote another.