Might have already been asked but is it physically difficult to test a young child (age 7)

[YoureBreakingMyHeartCecilia]

I’ve not had a test nor do I personally know anyone who has but a friend has told me anecdotally of people having it done and saying it would be essentially impossible (aka horrendous) to perform the test on a young child as they would find it so invasive and uncomfortable.

With school returning I obviously intend to comply with our school’s directive to test if you have symptoms.

But I worry about how this will play out. I really worry about injuring my daughter if I have to home test in some complicated way that would involve her (at best) wriggling or jerking. If I take her for a test and they can perform it safely at least, is it not still so unpleasant that you would absolutely dread ever having to take them again?!

DD is well behaved and does what she’s told (within reason obv, she’s not a robot) but I think would be distressed to the point of effective non compliance if the swab testing is as unpleasant as I have heard.

It’s a minor worry in the grand scheme but I just want to be prepared.

If you’ve had the test how was it and/or how was it for your young kids if they’ve had it?

I tested my 3 year old a few weeks ago. He gagged and it obviously was a bit uncomfortable but there were no tears and he was happy enough once the swab was gone (helped by a chocolate button). It wouldn't put me off doing it again.

I managed with my 3 & 9 year olds last weekend. Not as bad as I expected. Would do it again if I needed to.

Thank you that’s reassuring x

We're on the covid survey thing and had our first tests yesterday. My 10 year old coped with it fine, as said above you can't help but gag but that's brief. It really wasn't bad at all.

I did my 8yo but they said only up the nose was enough in children.
So it was much better than expected.

We had to test our five-year-old and it took both of us, one to hold him, the other to do it. I wouldn’t like to have to do it again because he’d know what was coming! Maybe a seven-year-old would be easier to reason with, though?

I've tested my 4 and 8 year olds. They were fine. 4 year old actually coped better and treated them with chocolate afterwards. I know my 8 year old won't want to do it again but think we'll convince him as/ when needed. But they do really need to produce an easier testing system for kids. Subjecting them to it a lot won't be nice or easy.

NewKitty that’s exactly the scenario I worry about!

This is something that worries me, too. If you've done it yourself, how can you be sure you've done it properly? I've heard (both in MN and in RL) from people who did a home test and later had a test done by a HCP, and they said that the HCP put the swab in much further than they did themselves.

So many people like to overdramatise and exaggerate mild discomfort I find. Personally I've had 4 and they're unpleasant but not painful and very quick. I have done 7 year old ds too, he gagged with the throat one and told me his nose didn't go that far, when I was pushing the swab in. But it was fine, he wasn't distressed and was sitting eating a bag of crisps within seconds.
At 7 you can employ a combination of explanation and bribery. If she's generally well behaved and cooperative then you'll be fine, try not to worry

I tested my 9 year old this morning as we've been invited to participate in a study. The throat was fine, I'm not sure I went far enough up the nose, that was the tricky bit but we did our best. We'll find out if it was enough in a few days I suppose...

Jesus,dramatic much. Why don't you get on for yourself and try it out? You're making yourself worry over nothing.

2.5 year old here. Strapped into car seat with ipad to watch. We did ourselves first to show it was fine. Dad held his hands. I held his chin and swabbed (just both nostrils for children). He cried for a few seconds, got a treat and has been asking to do it again, so he can have another treat. Just don't make a big deal of it. It was honestly less tears than brushing his hair, and far far less than vaccinations etc. Swabbed the baby too, he didn't even cry! All results came back negative, rather than inconclusive, so obviously did it right.

I had the test at hospital, the nose part just felt wierd rather than painful. The throat part I struggled with but I was having a lot of breathing difficulties at the time and it made me gag but briefly, like a tickling type of feeling. I would do it again if needed, its not pleasant but its very quick, maybe a minute long and no pain.

8 year old was swabbed by his dad (a physician). As was the 3 year old. Both fine. Not the happiest 60 seconds of their life but it was fine.

My 5 year old was fine with it (fever yesterday). Bribery is your friend...

18mo much more difficult because he doesn't quite "get" bribery yet!

My nine year old watched me do mine and is adamant she won’t be having one. Can’t even get medicine in her - so doing a test on her would be a battle.

Slightly dreading doing the children when the time comes. I’ve done 3. First time I made myself sick in the car and annoyingly my 4yo was with me so saw. She will be open to bribery. The 1yo is going to be a pain. We have to pin her down for teeth brushing. It’s a relief to hear that nostrils only might be ok. She loves sticking her finger up her nose so that should be fine!

I was dreading performing the test on my 6 year old... partly because I had seen scary diagrams at the start if lockdown about: "this is how far we have to stick it up your nose... DONT GO OUTSIDE...." etc.
So I thought they had to go really far up!

Anyway, they don't. The diy tests dont go all the way up the nose. Maybe the tests are different, or maybe it was a scare tactic.

We went to a drive through testing centre when we had symptoms. They passed packs through the windows and we swabbes ourselves.
I followed the instructions scrupulously and it really wasnt that bad. Dd gagged a bit with the throat swab, and did not enjoy the nose swab but she was never in any pain. She got chocolate biscuits after which helped!

There are official videos on YouTube with instructions on how to do the home tests. I advise watching one as the drive through tests were the same.
I wish they would produce more official videos on "what to expect" with the drive through tests, and also a video on how to test children as it would help to reassure people I think.

If you do have to go for a test, maybe play a game with your dc where you practice swabbing a teddy or something first? Some kids get scared if they dont know what to expect.

I've got a 4yo about to start school and a 10mo starting nursery soon. Dreading it as obviously they'll both just get a constant stream of illnesses.

I have a thread at the moment trying to find out what's going on with the saliva tests they were trialling.

Sounds like chocolate treats might help with my son. Can't really bribe a baby.

Thanks everyone! Extremely reassuring. V glad to hear you’ve all managed it without major trauma

Dd 6 was tested last week. The swans are small. She said it was very tricky but didn't hurt.

Tickly not tricky