A coughing patient in the waiting area has no fever. What does the absence of fever tell you?

1. Fever is present in many respiratory infections, which is why it feels like a screening test. 2. Patients with pertussis and with mild upper respiratory tract infection are often afebrile. 3. So the absence of fever does not always exclude a respiratory infection, and cough etiquette still applies. 4. Asthma, allergic rhinitis and chronic obstructive lung disease also cause coughing and sneezing, and those patients are often not infectious. 5. Even so, cough etiquette measures are prudent for them, so an allergic explanation cannot be confirmed at the front desk. 6. Nothing about a missing fever marks the end of an infectious period. _Source: CDC Guideline for Isolation Precautions: Preventing Transmission of Infectious Agents in Healthcare Settings (2007), Part III, section III.A.1.a. Respiratory hygiene/cough etiquette_