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.

@HSHorror

My 8yo probably wouldnt have had 2 colds this year if primary kids and teachers were in masks. And may well not have missed 9/12 of a school year. Fewer colds wou!d have meant less tests on nursery ages too

@HSHorror

It would be impossible to stop the spread of colds amongst children. You cannot expect them to wear masks all day.

Children are gross despite the increased hand washing etc. They pick their noses, touch each other & share toys/ equipment and behave as children should. They are bound to still catch colds and in some ways, so they should in order to build their immune system.

I hope measures such as ventilation and regular hand washing remain in place within schools & nurseries long after this pandemic.

I think the issue here is how awful the tests are for young children. I wish there was an alternative.

It's a good point about false negatives too.

I just don't know what the answer is. Blood tests aren't easy either.

I will comply until vaccinations are fully filled out but won’t thereafter.

We have to learn to live with it. Children get colds all winter, constantly and if you have more than one child and are self employed, it’s a bloody nightmare.

@Lockdownbear

It's a good point about false negatives too.

I just don't know what the answer is. Blood tests aren't easy either.

@Lockdownbear I live in hope that eventually with vaccinations, changes in the virus itself and more actual knowledge & understanding of Covid, we will end up with it circulating much like colds & flu. Maybe with guidance on keeping kids at home for symptoms much like sickness & tummy bugs where you cannot send your child back to school until 48 hours after the last symptoms.

We are never going to achieve zero Covid. We need to protect & treat the vulnerable and those who become very unwell with the help of vaccines and development of treatments/medications.

@gallbladderpain my child was exactly the same as yours, constantly in and out of hospital and on oxygen etc... I can still absolutely sympathise with the OP and all parents/children going through this! Your child’s suffering doesn’t minimise anyone else’s!! And everyone copes with things differently. Let’s not minimise the impact of this pandemic and the effect it’s had on people’s whole lives, including children’s!!! But they are expected to just get on with it without a complaint. Plus if you actually RTFT OP said she’d tested 5 times already. Poor children. Let’s hope for some normality soon ☹️

I do think that the days of it people being expected to turn up at work, coughing and sneezing are over.

Which might reduce colds spreading but I think nurseries are a different kettle of fish.

Why are you testing? The swabs have carcinogenic material on them!! No doubt she has just a cold..as kids get.

@loulouljh

Why are you testing? The swabs have carcinogenic material on them!! No doubt she has just a cold..as kids get.

I think the tests can be horrible for some children, I think it is a nightmare for families especially when it is small children who pick up every cold going, I wish there was a saliva test or something similar...

...but the thing is we are where we are, and there are no saliva tests. Venting and being fucked off is a given, but I think people are understandably annoyed by people suggesting lying about testing and getting angry with people who work with children trying to sympathise.

Sorry....nor sure why I quoted @loulouljh....although to be honest - it is just scaremongering to try and put people off testing their children when they have symptoms.

We don’t test our youngest (under 5 and has asd) it makes him too distressed the gp asked us to recently we had to decline

Please don't worry about it, they're perfectly safe. Some people, with NO knowledge saw a chemical on the packaging & decided it was dangerous. It's absolutely not, it's used in an incredibly minute amount for sterilisation of the swabs, it's been used for many many years, it's slightly dangerous when handled in large quantities fir a prolonged period.

There was a thread in it the other day with lots of actual info, but bottom line is, sbmbdoluteky nothing to worry about.

Thank you.

@JustLiketheraptors

We don’t test our youngest (under 5 and has asd) it makes him too distressed the gp asked us to recently we had to decline

As long as you can isolate for 10 days if there are symptoms.

Apparently only about 50% recognise the symptoms of COVID, only 22% with the symptoms order a test and only 71% self isolate properly, so OP is actually doing quite well.

www.google.com/amp/s/www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1417703/coronavirus-news-uk-test-and-trace-one-in-five-self-isolate-cases-deaths-ont/amp

Yes I heard that on the news earlier @HamFisted...it's a real worry for kids like ds, who have been shielding all year, but will be going back to school unvaccinated after Easter.

71% self isolating is much better than it was at one point they reckoned only 20% did.

@HazeyJaneII

Yes I heard that on the news earlier *@HamFisted*...it's a real worry for kids like ds, who have been shielding all year, but will be going back to school unvaccinated after Easter.

It's a horrible feeling when you know your child's wellbeing is in the hands of everyone else in that classroom as well and many people frankly don't give a damn as long as it doesn't affect them. I fully trust my DC school to do all they can, they have been absoluely amazing but unfortunately they can't control the actions of many of the other parents. I cannot wait until they can vaccinate young children. At the minute the government saying 'they can be vaccinated after a discussion with the consultant' just isn't enough to sway it for many consultants who don't want to be putting their own neck on the line over that decision to use a new vaccine that has not had approval for that age group yet.

@gallbladderpain, ds's consultant is hopeful that clinically vulnerable under 12s may be able to be vaccinated in Sept/Oct time. It's tricky, ds is starting secondary in September and has only been at school for about 2 weeks since last March!! We feel he needs some time back in the routine of school before starting, do some of the transition work and spend time with his peers. We're just going to have to keep everything crossed!

[quote HazeyJaneII]@gallbladderpain, ds's consultant is hopeful that clinically vulnerable under 12s may be able to be vaccinated in Sept/Oct time. It's tricky, ds is starting secondary in September and has only been at school for about 2 weeks since last March!! We feel he needs some time back in the routine of school before starting, do some of the transition work and spend time with his peers. We're just going to have to keep everything crossed![/quote]
Do you think you could repeat year 6 from September under exceptional circumstances? It's a very tough decision though for his age group not being able to continue on with their peers. It is something we considered because ours haven't been in school since early March 20 but our CV was only due to start Reception in September 20 so many years ahead to catch up and luckily our older child (who hasn't returned to school either) still has a few years left in primary as well which has really been the saving grace for us and again we are hoping to get them back after Easter just so they have a little bit of 'normality' after a very tough year and before we see what the winter will bring again!

Fingers crossed for the under 12's and i'm hoping it goes as low as the under 6's as well!

@bobbiester I meant it yes, I no longer give a ducks fart about it but that does not imply @gallbladderpain assumption that I just won't test or isolate.

@gallbladderpain hahahahaha a few seconds on a 2 year old okay

People can say as much as they like it's a necessary evil but that doesn't mean that constant testing for uncomprehending toddlers isn't cruel and unusual. I agree, there should be another way of testing little ones.

To say it's a few seconds in order to get the 10 times around each nostril on an less than happy 2 year old is just wrong. It categorically does not take a few seconds.

Just stop testing her, OP. Test yourself and send that in.

@gallbladderpain
I don't think I could put ds through another year if the school he is at now, to be honest...it's been years of fighting to get the right support, and at the moment we are clinging on by our fingernails!! After quite a battle he has a place at a really lovely special school for secondary. We just need to get through this next bit....my hair will be even greyer than it is now!!

@diwrnachoflleyn

Just stop testing her, OP. Test yourself and send that in.

The op sounds like a good person. What you're suggesting sounds like the actions of an arsehole.

I've never had my 2 year old tested. She has a cold right now and a snotty nose but she never has a fever, and when I've called 111 in the past regarding a cough they've always said it's not continuous or frequent enough. There is no point in testing if it isn't meeting the threshold of symptoms according to the NHS, and it clearly says on the website it's not just any sign of a cough.