So for us, the only way to know if our cough is allergies, asthma, etc, IS that fever.
It's why I in particular wear a mask even in drive-thus. If I were lucky enough to only get a mild case if I caught it, one that did not cause a fever spike, I wouldn't be able to tell it from a seasonal allergy/asthma exacerbation. (I also do my nebulizer treatments in a closed room in my house, and leave the room closed for 30 minutes after except for a vent fan -- my albuterol nebulizer is good about not spewing most of the medicine out vs getting it into my lungs, but it IS creating a cloud of aerosol).
I do worry about those that do not necessarily spike a fever, but start getting lower respiratory symptoms and try to write them off as colds/normal everyday crud, and avoid medical care either because they can't afford it or don't want to get nosocomial COVID on top of what they think is "just the crud". The mammogram tech who died while at home with her small child may have had a fever with her symptoms, but for whatever reason did not seek medical care until it was too late for her to get to a phone and make a call.
As we've learned from cops believing the old adage "if you can talk, you can breathe" and that turning out to not be entirely accurate... when you can't talk, it's too late to do anything about not being able to breathe adequately. Especially if you are at home, alone.
I've had enough doctors chew me up one side and down the other for delaying my ER or urgent care visits until the point that I really should have called an ambulance instead. I should know better and have still thought that I didn't need emergency care when I did. And I don't know who is going to be more likely to make that mistake -- a person with breathing issues they feel are everyday and so "no big deal", or a person who doesn't think breathing issues would ever get serious because they have good lungs so try to tough it out.
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