Coughing for me has always been a “nails on a chalkboard” type sound. I’m very noise sensitive, but it’s 10x worse now after covid. I don’t care if it’s covid or something else respiratory, I do NOT want ANY of it! I don’t get sick often, but anything respiratory, my body has trouble kicking.
I have bad allergies 365 days a year. I’m allergic to everything alive. I am fully up to speed on what’s blooming in my area (or not) pretty much all the time. So I hate when people - who don’t have chronic allergies (i.e. people at work) - say “oh it’s just allergies.” Umm… no… Or the person hacking for a week “Oh it’s not covid. I tested negative” while talking about how everyone in their house has covid… uh huh… I’m keenly aware of everyone’s typical snorts, coughs, and sneezing patterns in here, so if something is off, I notice. I may have spent the day listening to two such people, but they are far enough from me to be but so paranoid, but I digress.
Otherwise, there’s not too much left over from covid. I am more reluctant to go to a crowded movie theater for some odd reason. It’s not like I don’t work with coughing people all day (long before the covid vaxs were available). And I travel, almost always without a mask. I only mask up if I’m in a tight spot for a long period of time with someone actively coughing, but then again H doesn’t mask then, so if he gets something… I’ll probably get it anyway. Fortunately, he’s got a great immune system.
I wish I could work from home, but other than the first 3 months when VA shut down, it’s been a non-option for me. I hate that.