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Covid

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Original poster

Urgent - appropriate testing of 3 year old child?

16 replies

Skylucy · 03/08/2020 17:02

I am in desperate need of advice RE having my 3yo daughter tested for coronavirus.

She has had a new persistent cough since this morning and has developed a temperature in the last hour. I have spoken to the covid-19 testing 'hotline' and will receive a home test tomorrow.

My issue is I need it urgently, accurately, and as easy/pain-free as possible for her! My father was very recently diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and we think we only have a few days with him. I'm very worried that the test will be painful for my daughter (and very possibly I won't do it accurately, for fear of hurting her), and we could possibly not get the results this week and even then they may show a false negative!

Saliva testing doesn't seem to be available. To be clear, I will go anywhere, pay anything to find out so that I can take appropriate steps to ensure my lovely dad is protected, and hopefully I can see him again.

Does anyone have any advice about administering the test? Or another solution? Any advice hugely gratefully received.

OP posts:

MrsSSG · 03/08/2020 17:10

Could you go to a drive though testing centre so you know it's done properly? I'm sure they are experienced in testing children.

To be honest though, these tests aren't always entirely accurate. It needs to be at exactly the right time, so if the test is done too early or too late, they can give a false negative.

If your daughter is having covid symptoms, I would self isolate to be on the safe side, sorry.

Original poster

Skylucy · 03/08/2020 17:13

The testing centre won't test anyone under 11.

Yes, we're already self-isolating.

OP posts:

sunseekin · 03/08/2020 17:15

No advice but sending virtual hugs.

OpheliasCrayon · 03/08/2020 17:24

I went to testing centre and they told me if my daughter (4) really couldn't tolerate the one in her throat that I could just do up each nostril. But then it would only be 50/50 that I would get a result (as opposed to inconclusive).

We needed an accurate result for
seeing vulnerable relatives so, I tried my best to do the one in her throat. I pushed her tongue down with a spoon and did a super swipe of her tonsil and then up each nostril.

I thought that I would fail and it would be inconclusive because you can't touch the tongue but I got a negative rather than inconclusive.

I'd recommend trying her throat as hard as it is because just nostrils won't necessarily get what you need but..... You could always just do nostrils and then get a second test and try her throat if it was inconclusive .

I'm pretty sure I touched her tongue to be honest but it came back fine

MummaGiles · 03/08/2020 17:26

I understand that you are panicking at the moment given the circumstances, but if your Dad really does only have a matter of days (for which I am so, so sorry - my heart goes out to you) do you really need to be mindful of protecting him from COVID? Or is it the people around him (medical professionals, relatives etc) that you are more concerned about?

I recently lost my Dad to cancer and was very mindful of keeping away during lockdown but knew that when it came to the end there was no point in Staying away and protecting him from a COVID when the cancer was going to take him anyway. It was more important to see him. In the end I didn’t get to see him because he went unexpectedly quickly but I would have travelled given the chance.

Original poster

Skylucy · 03/08/2020 17:32

Thanks @OpheliasCrayon - I didn't realise 'inconclusive' was an possible test result. That would at least tell me whether I'd done it properly!

Yes @MummaGiles, I have thought that too. The problem is he may have slightly longer (the cancer is very advanced and aggressive but he's doing well on steriods and morphine and is pretty perky, bless his heart), and I can't bear the idea that he may have a couple of weeks left but they're spent battling a bloody awful chest infection! Also, he's at home but so are my mum and brother, and of course the palliative care nurses who see him daily. I just cannot take the risk of infecting them, and he wouldn't want me to.

OP posts:

Mummyshark2018 · 03/08/2020 17:39

I would check your local testing centre. I got an appointment 3 hours after requesting it and had results back within 24 hours.

lalahotpants · 03/08/2020 17:40

Hey op I get a test every week and every week it's just the nostrils, i do it myself and everyone has came back negative not inconclusive.

Yellowfeather · 03/08/2020 17:46

If you get a void/inconclusive result, your daughter will have to isolate for 10 days. I would say it is going to be tricky to see your dad. Has she been at nursery, or some other place without you? You could have a test too, in a few days.

OpheliasCrayon · 03/08/2020 17:47

@Skylucy

Thanks *@OpheliasCrayon* - I didn't realise 'inconclusive' was an possible test result. That would at least tell me whether I'd done it properly!

Yes @MummaGiles, I have thought that too. The problem is he may have slightly longer (the cancer is very advanced and aggressive but he's doing well on steriods and morphine and is pretty perky, bless his heart), and I can't bear the idea that he may have a couple of weeks left but they're spent battling a bloody awful chest infection! Also, he's at home but so are my mum and brother, and of course the palliative care nurses who see him daily. I just cannot take the risk of infecting them, and he wouldn't want me to.

Yes if you haven't taken the sample correctly you'd find out. You won't be left wondering

Sipperskipper · 03/08/2020 17:53

Have been to a testing centre with my 3yo symptomatic DD this morning & they explicitly said not to do her throat, just her nose. She was fine with it, just said it tickled a lot!

Have a chat with the palliative care nurses looking after your dad, and see what their opinion is. Hard to know without knowing your exact situation, but I'm a palliative care nurse and would probably suggest you see him anyway (PPE for staff dependent).

A really, really difficult call for you to make though.

swisherfisher · 03/08/2020 18:23

My 2.5 year old needed a test last week. It was fine. We went to a drive through one. It wasn't fun, but he was ok with the throat and nose swabs. I gave him some chocolate after and he didn't cry at all. It was over quickly. Results back in just over 12 hours (negative) I was impressed.

Lau7 · 03/08/2020 20:39

My 19 month old had a temperature so we needed to test him. Ordered online and it came the next day. Did two nostrils as opposed to throat (I knew he would move too much!) Posted it that day and negative result the following day. All very quick.

Original poster

Skylucy · 03/08/2020 22:27

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful.

@yellowfeather no, she's just at home with us.

I'll definitely have a chat with the palliative nurses, thanks for the suggestion @sipperskipper .

OP posts:

JulyBreeze · 03/08/2020 23:07

I've had 3 tests in as many days as couldn't avoid touching my tongue, what helped in the end (on the advice of 119), was going to a walk though testing site because you get more help and support to do the test yourself there.

Will be thinking of you.

Camomila · 04/08/2020 08:32

She might surprise you, I remember getting a lot of throat swabs at that age (constant tonsil problems, in a different country) and honestly they weren't that bad.
Maybe have a tiny toy or some chocolate buttons to distract her with straight after.

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