COVID test every time your child has a cough

[Jenbot78]

Hi, has anyone else been in this position? DD (3) has been back at the childminders for 5 weeks now. She has already had a snotty nose and cough for which we got a COVID test which was negative. We had to get another one last night as she again had a cough.

I understand why we need to do this (to stop spread) but it is SO disruptive! It affects both mine and DHs work as we can’t go back until we get the test results!

Turnaround was less than 24 hours last time but that still meant juggling work around.

Yesterday’s test was a nightmare as DD got wise to what we needed to do (last time PP on the ipad distracted enough...)

I’m just interested in other people’s experiences when their children have developed coughs and snotty nose?

I feel winter term will be a nightmare if every time there is a new cough we have to self isolate until we get test results! My son will be starting childcare so I don’t know what we’ll do as I remember DD being perpetually ill in that first year 😱.

I think we just have to pray the saliva test comes to fruition!

My dd gets a cough every time she has a cold. I’m dreading winter.

My oldest gets ‘post viral wheeze’ after every illness. She coughs more than she doesn’t in the winter to be honest!

I have nothing to offer other than sympathy. My DD gets a temperature for about 4 days before every tooth. She was permanently being sent home from nursery in the first 6 months. I cant imagine throwing a covid test into that mix too. I just hope they find a different way of managing this all, otherwise I know working for me will be impossible when my second DD arrives and heads into nursery.

It is frustrating but I’m not sure what alternative there is. Winter will be interesting that’s for sure...Can you get set up working from home?

I mentioned my concerns about this on another thread yesterday. I understand why tests are important but my child quite often get coughs during the winter, to have to test him every time would be awful. He might cooperate the first time but I’ve got no chance once he’s wise to it.

I’m a stay at home mum so it’s not too inconvenient to me but it will cause massive problems for my husband to have to take time off work every time either of our kids need a test.

Weve been told that even a negative covid test will result in exclusion from school for a week for a child with symptoms (so temperature, cough....) PLUS 2 weeks for any siblings.
I cant see the kids being at school very much.

The tests we have already can be turned around in hours. They just aren't. Test and contact tracing are the only way through next year. Maybe ask your MP why they don't put more £££ into turning tests around quickly

I know at the school I govern at the teachers had said they would have to be pragmatic about sending kids home. It can't be for every cough or some kids would do it deliberately. And colds are rife in schools. Maybe the childminder will calm down after a bit once they realise how many tests they have requested compared to how.many positive results (or lack of).

What I am a little concerned about is the tests are only 60% accurate. I dont know what's worse, having to get one and isolate the whole family off work and school while waiting for a negative result, or getting a negative result and now knowing for sure if it is actually negative and then returning to work and school.

@RedCatBlueCat

Weve been told that even a negative covid test will result in exclusion from school for a week for a child with symptoms (so temperature, cough....) PLUS 2 weeks for any siblings. I cant see the kids being at school very much.

No. Most of my clients (I’m freelance) have already gone elsewhere due to me not being able to work properly since March as my three young children have been at home, and I suspect I’ll lose the rest over the next few months as they’ll go to people who don’t have kids and can dedicate their time properly instead! It’s a shit situation.

@Jenbot78 what was the test like for your little one? Was it up the nose? How did she cope? I dont know anyone who has had one yet, but I can imagine that taking kids in for their 2nd (and 3rd, 4th, 5th etc) test will be difficult! Urgh. We've had no coughs since lockdown but September is inevitably going to unleash all the coughs and cold symptoms...

@RedCatBlueCat I think our school have a similar policy.

The child must isolate for 7 days and the rest of the household for 14 days....I’d love to know how they expect the child to get to school in the second week when both parents should still be isolating? I thought government policy was that a negative result means everyone can stop isolating?

@TheLegendOfZelda

The tests we have already can be turned around in hours. They just aren't. Test and contact tracing are the only way through next year. Maybe ask your MP why they don't put more £££ into turning tests around quickly

No one is saying that test and contacting shouldn’t be happening. Just discussing the difficulties it will cause with other parents who may share the same concerns.

Weve been told that even a negative covid test will result in exclusion from school for a week for a child with symptoms (so temperature, cough....) PLUS 2 weeks for any siblings.

I honestly think schools will ramp that back, if nothing else because they cannot staff it when teachers need 2 Weeks off constantly look after their children.

@PotteringAlong

Weve been told that even a negative covid test will result in exclusion from school for a week for a child with symptoms (so temperature, cough....) PLUS 2 weeks for any siblings.

I honestly think schools will ramp that back, if nothing else because they cannot staff it when teachers need 2 Weeks off constantly look after their children.

Not to mention it's counter productive as can see people not bothering putting a child through a test if you have to isolate anyway? If people with symptoms don't get tested then an accurate picture of where Covid is hard to achieve.

Yeah I'm dreading it. How did you find testing a three year old? Did you do the swabs yourself?

We had all this with me last week as I had a temp with mastitis and the community midwife insisted (rightly in fairness) that we isolate until I had a negative test. I had to do the test myself and failed completely, no idea how I'd do it on a toddler.

Touch wood we've had no illnesses since February despite both DC now being back at nursery (lockdown and social-distancing has had some positives!).

But DD (4) is another who gets a really bad cough most times she has a cold (so much so that it makes her vomit at night and we've actually been prescribed an inhaler). Plus she's starting school in September...

I only hope that the vigilent hygiene measures go some way to mitigating the onslaught of new germs..

Fair enough, just talk then. I'm suggesting you act as well. Talk doesn't get you anywhere. Results can be delivered in two hours or so, they just aren't. If you think money is better spent, for example, on cheap takeaways, no need to pressure your MP then.

This is exactly my concern and it is honestly making me so worried. My kids get every cold going so realistically we could all be off for 14 days every couple of weeks, it’s never going to work realistically, I work in community nursing, just about to start my degree through the open uni and honestly don’t know how I’m going to cope if the kids are off every other week it just won’t work, We won’t have jobs if that’s the case and as mentioned above the tests aren’t always accurate. Fair enough If they can go back after a negative result

I swabbed my 8yo who has special needs last week after he started coughing. We went to a drive through testing centre. The test asks that you swab top of nostril and back of throat for 10-15 seconds. If you can’t do back of throat, you do second nostril. There is no way that we managed 10-15 seconds of swabbing (it is quite a long time!) so we did what we could. Test came back negative, not inconclusive, within 12 hours.

I booked it at 7am and the test appointment was at 11am, result back by 11pm.

I think the main issue here isnt really the isolating and testing. We all know that's 100% needed and is very important. I think we are all worried as jobs just wont be understanding of their workers isolating for whatever length of time. Those of us with kids will be at a significant disadvantage compared to those without, to the point that some of us who cannot WFH may be looking at losing our jobs. That's the problem more than testing and isolating IMO.

@TheLegendOfZelda

Fair enough, just talk then. I'm suggesting you act as well. Talk doesn't get you anywhere. Results can be delivered in two hours or so, they just aren't. If you think money is better spent, for example, on cheap takeaways, no need to pressure your MP then.

😂 I couldn’t give a shit about cheap takeaways, and trust me I do lobby my MP about all sorts but he’s as useful as a fucking chocolate teapot. Results are delivered in 12 hours ish in my area but like PP’s, school policy is isolation for 7 days (and 14 for siblings) despite a negative test so doesn’t help the work situation.

We have been told even with a negative test the child needs to be off school for two weeks good job im currently unemployed then because ds2 always gets a cough and ds1 always pops a random temperature 🤦‍♀️

I totally understand why testing is required when there is a real concern that the symptoms point to the virus but surely a level of common sense has to come into play - for example, in the last week before schools closed my sons primary class went from 30 children to 9 children because they sent home every child that coughed or sneezed! Now the same school are telling parents that children sent home must be tested, continue to self isolate for 7 days and the rest of the household for 14 days!