How to test a baby?!

[Horehound]

My son has had a cold for 3.5 weeks. I thought it was getting better but then he's all snotty again and started coughing in the night. That's happened last three nights and occasionally through the day.
I called the GP today and the nurse said we should isolate until the baby has a test and that it shows negative.

Now, I'm certain it is a cold but I am fine with doing the test. But I have done a test and know you can't touch parts of your mouth and have to rub the stick on your tonsils for like 16 seconds.

How the hell am I going to manage that on my 1yr old? Well, I know I'm not. So is there a point in testing?! How do I do it?!

For babies and toddlers the advice is to do both nostrils instead of the back of the throat. It's not pleasant but it is do-able.

I had to get my 1 year old tested last week.

The lady was really helpful and told us straight away that we just need to do both nostrils as he's too young to do the mouth swab correctly.

It wasn't pleasant at the time, but he was over it within seconds.

Good luck!

Agree with the above, just do nostrils not the throat element (my 7yo is petrified of gagging/being sick so they told us to do it this way). Have a bottle or your boob at the ready. It won't be nice but it is necessary & will soon be forgotten.

Nostrils only! We did DD 22mo last week and had to tag team holding her still and swabbing but we've had worse teeth brushing I think

I managed about at best 3 seconds, only one nostril for my 22 month old and it was still enough for a conclusive result. We just have to try our best and hope!

Aha! That makes sense :) phew! Thanks all :)

I wish they’d told us that at the test centre! We spent ages trying to swab the back of DDs throat (11 months old). She kept closing her mouth snd sucking on it as soon as it went in