To think he doesn't need a covid test

[Vilanelle]

My 1 year old is in nursery and constantly catching colds. He has one now and the cough has gone very chesty so I asked to see a gp (went on ask my gp for advice and they made appt to listen to his chest)

She also suggested a covid test. I'm not against testing but do I really need to put him through it (he hates anything near his nose) when it's more than likely a chesty cold.

How long has your child had the cough? As if it's been more than 10 days you're past the point of isolating or testing anyway. My DS had a cough for 6 weeks when we saw the GP, and because it had lasted so long they didn't even mention Covid.

If you don't want to do a test, could you wait and then tell the GP that you isolated for 10 days instead and ask to see them again? You never know, the cough might shift itself in that time.

@Vilanelle

My 1 year old is in nursery and constantly catching colds. He has one now and the cough has gone very chesty so I asked to see a gp (went on ask my gp for advice and they made appt to listen to his chest)

She also suggested a covid test. I'm not against testing but do I really need to put him through it (he hates anything near his nose) when it's more than likely a chesty cold.

What a waste of a GP appointment if you aren’t going to take their advice! It beggars belief we’re at this stage of the pandemic and people STILL question the need for a test when clearly presented with a symptom that triggers the need for one (and this has been confirmed by a medical professional).

Yes you need a PCR test for a new cough. Obviously. Please don't just isolate without testing if they've been in nursery as their bubble will need to isolate if they are positive.

We're almost 18 months in HOW are you still this inept

Honestly, I wouldn't do it. I'd just follow the 10 days isolation rule and monitor how he's doing. Over a year in, we now know that healthy children are at extremely low risk from this, so what benefit will testing him bring? If he's unwell, he's unwell. Keep him home until better.

Presumably you contacted the gp to find out the cause of the cough and see if it needs any further treatment. Why would you then not follow their advice? I also presume you won't get a proper face to face appointment to check him over without a negative test. If you are so confident it's just a chesty cold then why contact the Dr at all?

Delta variant is going round DCs' school and seems to be presenting as a cold/hayfever. Yes I would put him through it. Sure, it'll probably be a cold, but covid is not vanishingly unlikely with 25k new cases a day. Especially if other parents at nursery are also not getting their children with coughs tested.

@whatswithtodaytoday

OP can't isolate for 10 days if she's working, which is presumably why her one year old is in nursery. (Trust me OPO, you do not want to isolate for 10 days with a 1 year old... the first lockdown nearly broke me.)

If someone in the house has symptoms she either gets them tested to rule out covid or isolates for 10 days assuming it is covid. This is not optional.

It's been made so very clear! He has symptoms of a Covid so needs a test. How could you possibly know that it's not Covid?

My little one has been poorly with a cough and fever. I’ve been to GP and A& E , nobody mentioned a Covid test. They just gave antibiotics. I was surprised they didn’t test for Covid though

@whatswithtodaytoday

OP can't isolate for 10 days if she's working, which is presumably why her one year old is in nursery. (Trust me OPO, you do not want to isolate for 10 days with a 1 year old... the first lockdown nearly broke me.)

Are you really that stupid? Yes they need to isolate. The child needs to stay in and therefore so does mum. You might break the rules but most decent people don’t.

I haven't said I'm not going to test him. He had had the cough for around 8 weeks but only now its going to his chest. I went to the doctor about 6 weeks ago amd he told me to come back if its the same.

In any case I've booked the test for tomorrow evening.

A lot of angry people on here today! As usual.

I do understand the rules. I've had about 5 tests on the last 3 months!

We sent a child home a fortnight ago as he was coughing. Told mum to get a PCR test she was adamant that “it’s just his hay fever”, she gave in and had him tested…. positive! Had to close the bubble, fortunately none of the other children in the bubble developed symptoms.

@CharlotteRose90 Eh? Higher up the thread I have clearly said she needs to get a PCR, and given tips for how we test our toddler. I think he's on his seventh...

I meant she wouldn't isolate for 10 days while WFH if the alternative is a PCR test and negative result within a day or so, because so many posters were saying they couldn't possibly inflict a test on their children. Needs must.

He’s had the cough 8w and nursery didn’t ask you to test him 8w ago

It say don’t come in till had a test

They should have asked for test on day 1 of cough