Coughing is actually a protective mechanism of the respiratory system. Normal people also cough to expel secretions from the respiratory tract, and the secretions can take away the garbage in the respiratory tract and play a role in cleaning the airway. When there is an infection in the respiratory tract, people will first show symptoms of coughing. Whether it is the new coronavirus pneumonia, which is now popular, or other inflammatory diseases of the respiratory tract, including bronchitis, pneumonia, bronchiectasis, it may be manifested as coughing and coughing up sputum. If a patient develops a dry cough, it is not a unique sign of novel coronavirus pneumonia, but a non-specific symptom. Therefore, the presence of cough and sputum cannot be judged as a novel coronavirus infection based on the symptoms alone, but also on the patient’s history of epidemiologic exposure, including viral etiology, and based on the clinical symptoms, such as cough, fever, and respiratory distress, in order to determine whether it is a novel coronavirus pneumonia. Source: Dr. Yurai