Coughs and colds

You are probably correct. I have noticed that people who just cough tend to be given black looks by those close by and rightly so

I've noticed this too. I have a very blocked nose (chronic rhinitis) & get post-nasal drip. Also have a very active cough reflex.
And when I start coughing in public it's very hard to stop because it seems to be a nervous thing, & the harder I try the worse it gets.If I leave the room / go to the loo on the train it will subside.
I can get a coughing fit any time - and I've been like this for most of my life - if I have no other symptoms of a cold, it's just allergic rhinitis making me do it - I don't have anything anyone could possibly catch.

DH has a persistent post nasal drip which triggers a barking cough, spmetimes sounds as though he is choking. Has seen a raft of specialists, nothing they can do, he gets no end of black looks, but people need to realise coughs are not always due to infections.

Generally I think this is true. Except for my g’dtrs. Their parents believe in stoically carrying on and not making a fuss. One g’dtr is almost 18, the other 15. Neither they nor their parents take sick days unless they are genuinely too poorly to get out of bed. They are not encouraged to feel sorry for themselves. I was somewhat approving of this attitude. Until today, when they visited me, both girls sniffing and complaining of sore throats. I didn’t know this until after I got the lovely hugs and kisses when they arrived. Sharing is not always a good idea.