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Original poster

Covid test on children

36 replies

LG101 · 16/11/2020 03:03

Nursery have various people with Covid, DC have to isolate for 14 days. DC is coughing but no other symptoms and could be teething

We can both work from home and have food shops booked.

Would you get them tested? It’s not going to benefit anyone right other than adding to the statistics. If we show symptoms we will get tested just now sure why go put a baby through it? Any benefits we aren’t seeing?

OP posts:
GlowingOrb · 16/11/2020 03:37

I would skip the test if your household can truly isolate for the 14 days. If that can’t happen, then the test is necessary. B

mindutopia · 16/11/2020 04:07

I would get tested as I’d want to know. The test really isn’t a big deal and my 2 year old barely noticed. You only have to swab the nose so it’s quite easy.

Original poster
LG101 · 16/11/2020 04:08

@GlowingOrb that’s what we thought, we can truly isolate and I have a sign ready to put on the door for food deliveries etc

It’s going to be a long 14 days might crack out some Christmas presents early 🤣

OP posts:
Original poster
LG101 · 16/11/2020 04:12

@mindutopia is it not the throat too for kids?? Is that only adults. Sounds much better

OP posts:
Original poster
LG101 · 16/11/2020 04:15

Think we might be in different locations, just looked and uk is still swabbing throat and nose for kids as far as I can see

OP posts:
Leaannb · 16/11/2020 04:16

Your son is coughing and has been exposed...What's the benefit of not having him tested?

anothermansmother · 16/11/2020 04:35

It's only nose for children.

cookiemonster5 · 16/11/2020 04:45

I had to get my 3 year old tested on Saturday and it's both nostrils for kids now. 2 weeks ago when one of my older children had a fever it was throat and one nostril so it's changed very recently.

I would do the test.

Juanbablo · 16/11/2020 05:50

We had to swab nose and throat, we followed the instructions given to us in the pack. No one at the test centre said only nose. If that's true I'm so annoyed because it was an absolute shit show in our car that day. Anyway, I would skip the test if you can definitely isolate for 14 days.

Notajogger · 16/11/2020 05:55

When we did it, it was nose and throat for children, 15 secs on both tonsils without touching tongue, cheeks, teeth. Absolutely impossible on our 1 year old!

DeadButDelicious · 16/11/2020 06:08

We had our 4 year old tested late last week, we just had to swab both nostrils.

welshladywhois40 · 16/11/2020 06:16

Last time we went we were advised not to do my toddler (nose swab can damage nerves) so I was tested on the logic as we are in close contact we will both have it - that was 2 weeks ago

Wynston · 16/11/2020 06:28

Took dc for a test on Saturday. The information pack was that children can have the swab using both nostrils.
We had our result back in 26 hours.
The benefit of having the test is to help protect others any contacts you're dc had been with should be notified via track and trace.
Hope that this time passes quickly for ypu and you all remain well.

rottiemum88 · 16/11/2020 06:44

uk is still swabbing throat and nose for kids as far as I can see

DS has unfortunately had to have 4 tests at our nursery's insistence since June and he's only ever had to have the nose swab. He's 22 months and we're in the UK, so it's not a recent change.

pylongazer · 16/11/2020 06:47

I wouldn't get them done, I work in education and every parent who has taken their child for a test said it was awful for both of them

KTD27 · 16/11/2020 06:56

Another voice that says if you can truly isolate then fine.
My son was sent home from school on Tuesday as his bubble had burst so to speak. One case in reception turned into three kids and the teacher before Friday. My daughter got a cough Friday and DS has a heart condition so we got them both tested (I know he wasn’t technically supposed to have one but his heart makes us a little bit paranoid) anyway, he’s positive she’s negative. He’s fine and totally asymptomatic but now we are obviously isolating as a family.
I’m so thankful he was tested because I’d have been back on public transport today and going in to do my key worker job potentially spreading the virus if indeed I’m carrying it. Test and trace suggest that’s almost inevitable but that’s by the by really.
If you can all isolate the net result is the same. If for any reason you cannot and need to know then do the test. Oh and FWIW it was only the nostrils.

hennybeans · 16/11/2020 08:12

Ds 8 had to have one in September. It was truly awful. Instructions then were throat and one nostril, we were in a car 7;30 pm so it was dark, not allowed to get out of car obviously, and the only test was 2 hours away. Poor Ds. I couldn't see his tonsils no matter what I did and he was crying so hard by the time I tried his nose that I was afraid he was going to sob and I would poke the stick too far.
Everything about it was horrible, and that was with a well behaved 8 year old. I told ds I wouldn't make him do it again.

LouiseTrees · 16/11/2020 08:15

@LG101

Think we might be in different locations, just looked and uk is still swabbing throat and nose for kids as far as I can see
Depends on age of the kid. In Scotland, my one year old it was both nostrils.
OrangeGinLemonFanta · 16/11/2020 08:15

DS(3) was tested yesterday, it was just the nose swab. It was unpleasant for about 30 seconds and then it was done and he was totally over it.

Thatwentbadly · 16/11/2020 08:18

The test is simple. If you don’t get your child tested then you need to isolate for 14 days from the start of her symptoms not 14 days from when she started to isolate.

Thatwentbadly · 16/11/2020 08:19

The NHS suggests nose swab only in young children. I’ve done it twice on my toddler and it was fine. Much easier than trying to get her to take medicine for us.

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 16/11/2020 08:22

DS has been tested twice due to a persistent cough, first time we were told to do throat and mouth, second time we were told try throat and mouth but if it upsets him just do both nostrils. Personally I'd want to know as I'd want to keep an eye on him. We all had it in march, DS and I were tested after he was blue lighted in with a fever of 40 that would not respond to paracetamol etc. DH was never tested as they were only testing in hospital then and only one parent could go in with him, we all developed awful coughs and I lost my sense of taste and smell for a good month. Since then DS seems very prone to coughs with every sniffle

KarlKennedysDurianFruit · 16/11/2020 08:23

Throat and nose......

Russell19 · 16/11/2020 08:26

Just nose here when I had my 18mo tested.

Nottherealslimshady · 16/11/2020 08:29

If you all isolate for 14 days properly then skip the test. If adults show symptoms then you have tests then you'll have to inform anyone you've been around. I'm assuming your kid has only been to nursery who already have it so no one would gain any knowledge by kid getting tested.
If he's been elsewhere and with other people then they need informing as if he got a positive test they'd have to isolate.