Kids and swab tests

[Mintmallow88]

Hi all. Just wondering what happens if a child refuses to do a swab test or is so hysterical that it’s impossible to take one? Has anyone been through this?

I am asking my ds paediatrician this next week as I refuse to make him gave one . He has sensory processing disorder and this would be his worst nightmare as would masks ..

If a child needs testing because they have symptoms but won't take a test, then the child and everyone else in the household must self isolate for 14 days.

If they take a test and it's negative then everyone can carry on as normal.

A positive test would obviously still mean everyone in the household isolates but track and trace would also be able to warn anyone else who may have been exposed.

I'm not testing mine unless they have both a cough and temperature.

Ah ok. Yes I can see taking the test would at least know if positive or negative and then not have to self isolate if negative. But it’s impossible to get a child to do it if they really don’t want to!

Come autumn/winter, the amount that kids are ill, we will all be regular visitors down for testing!

It simply isn't going to happen. I couldn't guarantee that I wouldn't cause her an injury by going too far down her throat or is her nose. I can't even see how o could do it to myself without an injury or not doing it properly. I am not a professional, I don't know where the nose ends abd the brain begins if I'm jamming a stick up there.

I'm praying for the spit test.

Ds would need sedating to do it. He would also need strong medication if I had to keep him indoors for 14 days without him totally losing it so I will be pushing for sedation.

What Lindy2 says.

I have just swabbed dd2 aged 8 which was manageable, but not easy and I do them at work routinely. I had to do mine first in front of her to work her up to it. To do a younger child it would take two adults, one to hold them like you would for a doctor to look in their throat etc... Not sure I would get a full swab on my youngest who has ASD even if DH pinned him down.

I had to do one for 4 year old DD. Couldn't manage the throat at all but got both nostrils. It was at a drive through test centre so we were in the car. It took around 30 minutes for me to persuade her to let me do it. She was hysterical at times at just the sight of the swab. It was a case of staying calm, lots of reassurance and a lot of bribery.

Of course, we were there because she had a fever so she was already feeling rough poor girl, but she got there eventually.

Thankfully it was negative.