Sick of getting my 2.5 year old tested

[Welllllllwellllllllwellllllll]

She's come down with a cold, no covid symptoms yet but, as always it's highly likely a cough will develop. She can't blow her nose so gets all get phlegmy at the back of her nose.

She's had FIVE tests and I'm sick of it, she gets distressed everytime, it has been negative everytime. Children get coughs and colds so regularly and everytime she's coughed previously I've got frustrated with her because it's like HERE WE GO AGAIN. My friend's child to isolate when they had croup, the doctor even diagnosed croup! I'm just done now. Couldn't give a flying farting space about bloody COVID-19.

Sorry, but why was your colleague testing her?!

Also with pcr tests you do not need to swab the throat.

I really wouldn't test unless asked. Nursery will be able to recognise the difference between a snotty child clearing their throat and a cough. We clear our throats all the time as adults but don't think we have a cough all the time. If they have a fever yes I would test but for a clearly snotty child (which most 2 year old are for about 80 per cent if the time) no. It is causing more harm than good.

Sorry @MilduraS, I think I was confused by your post.
Your colleague tested her own 2 year old? But why was she doing it in the nursery??

I'm really sorry op, it's so so tough 😔 I wish there was a way to test from their saliva or something, it'd be so much easier. I hope it isn't too much longer that we will have to keep getting tested. Unfortunately your options are get tested or isolate, kids get poorly and it is annoying but you aren't alone. And think how awful you'd feel if one of those tests were positive and if that hadn't been tested and it could be spreading. And spreading to your key worker mum! Likelihood? Not covid. Chances? Could be as she's mixing in nursery with other children.

@MilduraS

I really feel for you. My colleague had to test her 2 year old because she told the nursery she had had a runny nose over the weekend and they wouldn't take her without one. She had to pin her down and swab her throat while she was screaming and crying. It's been two weeks and she still screams and cries when they pull into the nursery car park because she thinks it will happen again. How the hell do you explain COVID testing to a two year old?

Why was the nursery testing? Do they do PCR tests or were they using their own lateral flow tests (intended for their staff!) on a toddler? I sincerely hope not as they aren't approved for use in children (below secondary age) and the swabs contain chemicals that may not be great for such young children.

My son gets a cough with every cold. As long as it’s not a continuous cough or accompanied with a fever we don’t test. School are happy to have him in they just take his temperature.

@MilduraS it's awful isn't it, they just don't understand

We had COViD in Jan - all of us including my 2 year old, it’s been a blessing in disguise because now when she has a cough I can say it’s a hangover from the COViD and no test is required and no more self isolation!! Those saying don’t test just isolate must REALLY enjoy the company of their partners and kids because 10 days is hard enough! You could have done 50 by now! Not to mention most kids that age are in nursery because parents need to work... I feel your pain OP xx

I'm well past the point of caring about wider society. My children are my priority and this will only be done as a last resort.

@Mol1628 but how do you find and draw the line at continuous?

@SnuggyBuggy of course it's last resort, I wouldn't do it unnecessarily!

It’s very difficult!! I tend to trust my gut and hope school feel the same! I do take Covid seriously for the record, but also my children’s education and well being.

It's awful having to test little ones, my 17 month old has had 2 and screamed for both. My 5yo is terrified of the swabs from her couple of tests too.

His nursery are pretty sensible with symptoms, he's teething (constantly!) and with the dribble he coughs when lying down and it gives him a runny nose. They know that and are aware of what Covid symptoms are so don't insist on isolation or resting for every cough or sneeze- they're still shit hot on it if anyone has symptoms just not overreacting to every snot because babies and toddlers are slimy at the best of times.

Covid is a new continuous cough, there's a big difference between that and a slight tickle because of teething/phlegm.

I can sympathise. DS always gets a cough at the end of a cold due to all the snot. Thankfully it’s only been twice last year that he’s been tested but it was a complete pain, he hated the test. But he seems sniffly today - hopefully it won’t come to anything! We’ve been illness free since December!

My only hope is that there will be less colds going into the spring. My children don’t seem to get colds during the spring and summer the autumn will hit again 😂

I wouldn’t test her again. She’s not going to get ill and it’s distressing. I’d tell the nursery I had tested her if asked and maybe take a test myself.
Children have had to give up enough for a disease which mainly effects the elderly.

On a different note it’s all so contradictory about the vaccines and transmission.

My 6 year old has been tested 8 times and only one of those for symptoms. She sort of understands but still gets upset, at least I can bribe her to do it with chocolate you can't easily blame a 2 year old so I feel for you.

Why was the nursery testing? Do they do PCR tests or were they using their own lateral flow tests (intended for their staff!) on a toddler? I sincerely hope not as they aren't approved for use in children (below secondary age) and the swabs contain chemicals that may not be great for such young children.

Hold the phone. There are potentially dangerous chemicals on the swab? What chemicals, and why have I been blithely swabbing my tonsils with them twice a week if their safety is in any way doubted?

@Crumpsly

I wouldn’t test her again. She’s not going to get ill and it’s distressing. I’d tell the nursery I had tested her if asked and maybe take a test myself. Children have had to give up enough for a disease which mainly effects the elderly.

On a different note it’s all so contradictory about the vaccines and transmission.

I’d tell the nursery I had tested her if asked and maybe take a test myself.

You'd do what??!!

@Crumpsly

I wouldn’t test her again. She’s not going to get ill and it’s distressing. I’d tell the nursery I had tested her if asked and maybe take a test myself. Children have had to give up enough for a disease which mainly effects the elderly.

On a different note it’s all so contradictory about the vaccines and transmission.

Just unbelievable!! Actually it's not - it's become sadly all too believable that some people behave like this. But to shamelessly advocate this on a forum???

Yeah I hear you OP.

DSC brought a virus (not covid) into the house last week, passed it on to my two.

Nursery insisted I get DS tested. I did. He's autistic and goes into total meltdown when you try to swab him.

Result was negative, nursery still said he can't come in.

Despite that, DSC were still in school and nobody suggested they be tested or take time off.

It's shit.

I run a nursery and I hate asking the parents to test their children because i know
It’s not a nice test. But I have to to protect the other children, families, staff and our families. My nursery families have been amazing.

We do appreciate you testing your children and are grateful that you support us to keep us all safe.

Result was negative, nursery still said he can't come in.

Why can't he attend? If he's well and the test is negative the nursery shouldn't be preventing him from attending.

@Freddiefox when people say 'it's not a nice test' it's patronising and annoying. Have you had to test a nursery aged child? It's not just 'not nice', it's awful and distressing especially when it's just a cold and all for a negative test. PP used the word barbaric, that is more accurate.

Result was negative, nursery still said he can't come in.
Was it a PCR test? It seems strange that he couldn't go in if he didn't have symptoms anymore and a negative PCR.
It also seems odd that your step children didn't have to isolate before the test - surely the whole household/bubble has to isolate?

It is more the CONSTANT testing when she has a cold.

Her first test was by far the worst as it was before children under 5 were tested with swabs, she was admitted to hospital after bumping her head and being sick - the pinned her down, used a thin plastic tube with a machine thing that sucked secretions out of her nose. That was just well, evil. Everyone on this planet can snuff it before my daughter went through that again.