Covid tests for infants - your tips please

[emeraldcity2000]

So I've had to get a covid test for my almost 1 year old. He's completed 3 days (10 whole hours!) of nursery as I'm meant to be back at work next week and has started project tile vomiting with a temperature and nasty cough.

My question is have any of you managed w successful swab? I'm totally convinced this mornings effort will be inconclusive, I couldn't get close to 15secs in mouth and nose and he can't clear the snot first either.... I'm sure we'll have to retest so looking for some tips on how you managed to get baby to comply ...

Thanks!!!

Okay so we did it at a drive through centre. I climbed into the back of my (very small) car and spun DS around in his car seat. Put my arm across his arms so he couldn't move them then quickly swabbed each nostril. Lots of singing, smiling and apologising. Little snack to bribe with until I could drive somewhere around the corner and get him out for a cuddle. Good luck OP x

With little ones you're allowed to do nose only - just go as deep as you can. Good luck!

The whole fever, projectile puke, chest infection, hand foot and mouth rodeo is awful for the first year at nursery but totally normal. And what's worse is just as they are recovering you go down with it and so you end up needing double the time off work. It settles down after about a year.

We did nose only for our 7-month old baby with a home test. It came back positive so it definitely works (we all had it at Christmas, likely caught from his older brother).

You just have to do nose (I think it's maybe both nostrils though), just read the instructions for children. Mine is 2, but it was no big deal. It's good to get it checked. If it's reassuring, mine has been in nursery nearly full time since June and been fine, no cases in nursery children or staff either. The only reason we tested is because I had symptoms (negative, don't know what it was) and he developed a stomach bug just after.

Thanks everyone! The leaflet didn't tell me I could just do nose but that's good to know if we need to retest. His jaw was fairly clamped tight!
Yeah, I remember the first year at nursery with my dd. And this little man has had no contact with anyone really so no developed immunity from all those first year sniffles. He'll pick up everything. I decided to save all of last years accrued holiday to give some flex when he's ill rather than extending mat leave or starting to get paid sooner this time so I have 34 days to play with thankfully!!!!

I did it with my just turned 2 year old in drive through centre. I did it myself first with laughter as it was funny so she wanted to have a go. Once I did it to her she snapped it in her nose so make sure you keep your little one hands firmly. She was not happy with it but got a nice cookie and was quickly fine.

Doing it in a car seat made it much easier, as DS2 couldn't move around much! I gave him my phone to fiddle with as a distraction, but didn't have much luck with the throat swab. Glad to hear nose on its own was OK, as he was only mildly annoyed with that.

My older DS with autism was a different story and managed to kick me in the throat, so that was a lot of fun.