Concerned about plans to test children over 5

[Mitsouko67]

I'm worried about this especially as I have heard the test is really unpleasant and sore. Up to this our kids haven't really ,in most instances, had to face this head on.

I know people who have had the test and it was 50/50 that is was OK and it was awful. I assumed it must depend to some extent on who is doing the test. I used to have a lovely GP, he was great except if you needed blood taking, Oh my God a blunt knitting needle being forced into your arm would have been less painful. Last year I had the opposite extreme, Consultant taking blood for a genetic test and I literally didn't feel it, I came to the conclusion he must be a magician as I don't understand how he did it.

The test will be available for over 5’s. They don’t have to take one! Did you think they were going to be compulsory?
My 6 year old has just had the test for the government research programme. Made her gag a bit but was fine.

I was also told it is alot better if you do it yourself and that the worst thing is doing it yourself.

Clear as mud really.

They're not going to send out a child-catcher van to force tests on children.

Not worried and obviously needs to be done, but had thought of this from an adult perspective and had read that some tests may of come back as false negatives because people dont do the throat sample properly.

I suffer significantly with gagging at the dentist, can put up with any amount of pain but often have to stop them for gagging so do wonder how i would manage it.

Personally I'd rather have a needle in my arm than a swab up my nose.

It does sound rather yucky, but as people have said, it's not compulsory, its just available.

I wish they'd get a shift on with the antibody tests.

I think your worries are perfectly fine. We all have worries about different things, but some like to think others are not entitled to have concerns that are different from their own

I think people have the right to be concerned about reasonable things. At the point where the fear of a test would be greater then the fear of the actual virus I do believe the fear is unreasonable.

Different is fine, but this is progress and it is exactly what we need if our children do start to show symptoms.

Fgs it doesn't hurt (I've been done). I swabbed myself. For children they will encourage the parents to swab the child.

Don't send him anywhere if you aren't prepared to have a test though. In school in their bubbles, without testing you are condemning all the bubble to have to isolate for 14 days.

I tested my 8 year old.

It is nowhere near as bad as people are suggesting you rub the end of the cotton bud type thing over the tonsils back of throat and then up the nose. He didn't bat an eyelid. I did it on my older son first so he could see what would happen.

Seriously don't worry about it.

There is film around of having it done . It definitely does not look that bad . Less painful than an injection .

The government can not win what ever they do .

If your child had symptoms I would think you would be worried sick when it could just be a cold . Surely better for you to know.

@cologne4711

Well that’s odd because lots of the papers said we would not have antibodies 🙂

You can buy private antibody tests if you want while waiting for the big roll out .,

I'm a key worker, DS5 had symptoms, he was tested (negative) it was a tummy bug but the fever meant a test was needed.

It was literally a swab of the back of his throat. Don't get me wrong took some bribery to get him to go Aaaaaaa but he did it, he survived, he isn't traumatised.

Think back over the last few weeks/months
If a Nurses child couldn't have a test and showed symptoms, they couldn't work.
The supermarket workers child. The Police officers child. The Prison officers child. The Testers child. The paramedics child. The list goes on.

You don't want to have you ill child tested? Don't. But lots of people don't have the choice to keep things working for you.

I really hope you're not one of the ones calling for schools not open.

Like jabs, having blood taken, smear tests etc etc it may be uncomfortable for a few seconds but over soon. The benefits vastly outweigh the discomfort.

Bitchy responses on here.

You are allowed to wonder about the discomfort it may cause your child. I have watched my son have unpleasant things done to him as a one year old. He had cannulas and lots of bloods, was put on a drip etc. Not pleasent for little ones

My kids hate the wooden stick too.

I personally would only get tested like that if I was seriously poorly or my child was extremely unwell. Otherwise it will be paracetamol and fluids at home. I'd stay home for the advised time too.

I think the antibody tests will be best to simply find out who's asymptomatic.

The week my child broke up from school I had a bad stomach twice. That night I had a mild inhaling powder sensation. Followed by 9 days of a dry cough. I took paracetamol twice for the chills. I got a mild fever when I woke up one morning. It went 15 minutes after taking paracetamol and I went shivery. Had a really sore throat at for one night and it was gone by morning.. On the last two days I had mild conjunctivitis. My son had had a cold and conjunctivitis two weeks before. Five year old nothing. Partner just had a dry cough. Who knows??? But where we live it wasn't really around and I had only been on the school runs. So unlikely to be covid. I would be very interested in the antibody test though.

Hopefully our kids won't ever be poorly enough to need a swab x

It’s just a swab? A cotton bud type thing rubbed up your nose / back of the throat? Why would it hurt, be unpleasant or uncomfortable? I don’t think it’s any different to when a dr examines a child’s throat with a lollipop stick.

It's not about being poorly enough or not! It's about releasing people you have contact with out of 14 days of unnecessary isolation 🙄