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Covid

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Original poster

2 year old has been coughing continuously for the past hour or so...

58 replies

MakkaPakkasSpongyThing · 18/05/2021 04:51

....he’s asleep now. I’m sure cough will not be an issue in the morning - he’s had a very snotty nose. No temp. No one else here ill. Do I send DD into school tomorrow?

OP posts:

Torvean · 18/05/2021 04:58

If he's just had one episode and he's OK in the morning. And if noone else is coughing then I'd send her in.

Original poster

MakkaPakkasSpongyThing · 18/05/2021 05:14

@Torvean thank you - he was coughing yesterday, I didn’t take him to his toddler activity as - although I didn’t think it was anything nasty - I thought I’d spare the other mum’s the worry of a coughing child. Coughing is worse at night I guess?

OP posts:

Original poster

MakkaPakkasSpongyThing · 18/05/2021 05:16

So when I say ‘not an issue’ in the morning, I expect he’ll still have cough, but not not the full on hour coughing episode I’ve just had...

OP posts:

ChristmasCovid · 18/05/2021 05:26

Don’t take him in, he has one of the 3 main symptoms. You need to book a test for him.
Of course it could be anything, but it also could be Covid and the guidance is to book a test and isolate.

Original poster

MakkaPakkasSpongyThing · 18/05/2021 05:39

@ChristmasCovid it’s DD (not coughing DS) who has school tomorrow, but I do take your point. I have some lateral flows but I know they are not accurate enough. I’m anticipating something like the car scene from The Omen if I take him for a test...

OP posts:

Original poster

MakkaPakkasSpongyThing · 18/05/2021 05:41

Will they swab his nose and throat? How do they test a toddler?

OP posts:

Waxonwaxoff0 · 18/05/2021 05:42

I'd keep DD off and get him tested. It is a nightmare but parents wouldn't thank you if he turned out to be positive and their children had to isolate for 2 weeks. I live in an area with a mass school outbreak, over 100 students and teachers positive so they're being really hot on this now.

Eminybob · 18/05/2021 05:46

It’s just nose for a toddler, and you have to do it, the test people won’t.
It’s hideous (had to take 2yo ds twice). See how he is in the morning. If still coughing you need to do it unfortunately, and keep dd off school until results are in.

Crowsaregreat · 18/05/2021 05:49

I did a test on my 4yo at the weekend at a testing site. They don't test the kid, you do it yourself in a booth it the back of your car. It's a swab up the nose (not on the tonsils for young ones). You have to swirl it ten seconds each side. Some kids are fine and say it tickles, some understandably react and turn into something from the exorcist. DD was the latter, it was gruesome but didn't last long. I recommend taking something nice to give them immediately after.

Ilovecrumpets · 18/05/2021 06:19

You would need to test and the whole household isolate until test result ( so not just DD).

RockingMyFiftiesNot · 18/05/2021 06:48

@Ilovecrumpets

You would need to test and the whole household isolate until test result ( so not just DD).

Please heed this advice. My friend's adult DS works in a school and contracted covid from one of the children in his class.

Lanesra1886 · 18/05/2021 06:55

The Calpol plug in has worked wonders for our little one's cough

SkankingMopoke · 18/05/2021 06:56

It sounds like he was coughing during the day yesterday (you didn't take him to toddler group to save them the worry of a coughing child) as well as the episode last night? TBH you should have removed your DD from school yesterday when it first became clear he had a cough, and booked DS a test. If you'd done this there is a good chance you would now have a negative test, and DD would be back in school today having only missed part of a day yesterday.
As the PP said, you need test him and all isolate until you get his test result. Yes, the test is traumatic for small DCs. Yes, it's a PITA for the older DC to miss school and the parents to miss work, but thems the breaks at the moment and we're all having to do it.

Oly4 · 18/05/2021 06:58

Of course you need to take him for a Covid test. And yes the rest of you need to isolate. Doing the test IS a pain and they obviously don’t like it up their nose.. but we’re in a pandemic. Millions of us have had to go through this and test our kids.
Fingers crossed your result comes back quickly!

picturesandpickles · 18/05/2021 07:02

The responsible thing to do is treat as possible covid, so either test or isolate (including siblings).

Hangingtrousers · 18/05/2021 07:02

You've lucky to have got this far with of it having to have him tested! My 19 month old is a pro!

Toddlers it's just the nose not throat.
Have a snack ready to distract for after. You don't need to push it as far up as you think.. I made dd2 bleed when we tested her.
I go to a walk in place so he's strapped in the buggy.

The results are super quick. I often test now at the first hint of a continuous cough, often if you go in the evening the results are back by morning.

4PawsGood · 18/05/2021 07:05

A continuous cough means ‘a bit of a cough, not just a toast crumb’. Of course you need to get a test.

Overthebow · 18/05/2021 07:06

Yes you need to get him tested and while house isolates. Don’t send your DD to school.

TimeToGoOut · 18/05/2021 07:11

Shocked you need to ask. No wonder the virus keeps spreading!

BetterThanKleenex · 18/05/2021 07:30

Don't send anyone to school/nursery/work. Everyone stays at home, do a lat flow at home and then book a test. Lat flow will be a good practice for him. Google how to do tests for toddlers, they will do throat and nose but countless toddlers have managed it and are fine, just bribe him!

Hope it's not Covid, it could even just be hayfever but it's better to be safe than sorry.

Icequeen01 · 18/05/2021 07:31

And definitely don't test using a LFD. Your child already has symptoms so it would be pointless (they are inaccurate at the best of times so I would never rely on one!).

ineedaholidaynow · 18/05/2021 07:36

Have you been hiding under a rock for the last year?

whatswithtodaytoday · 18/05/2021 07:39

My 26 month old has been coughing all night (started around 2am) so we're off to the test site this morning. It's his sixth test 🤦 Yay nursery bugs.

A total pain in the arse but yes, you need to get him tested.

EyeDrops · 18/05/2021 07:41

I had to take 2yo DD for a test last week. I took one of our home lateral flow test swabs to 'play' with, joked about showing her putting it up my nose first. We made a big deal of 'mummy's turn... Dd's turn!' and it made her much less resistant!

whatswithtodaytoday · 18/05/2021 07:41

Btw don't attempt throat, it's impossible because you're not supposed to touch the tongue. Take two adults (or maybe DD if she's old enough?) so you have one to hold his head still and one to administer swab. Take a treat for afterwards.

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