Unable to get a valid test from DD (4)

[coffeepleeease]

Hi this is my first post, my DD (4 almost 5) has lots of sensory issues and a very sensitive gag reflex due to a genetic condition she has. We’ve never been able to get a valid Covid test done as she gets so distressed she throws up, or bats the swab out of my hand. The only valid ones she’s had (both negative) were ones done in hospital. She’s very strong and it’s impossible to pin her down (this is common for lots of things, the problem with the Covid test is there’s only me and DH. An example, when she needed a cannula in hospital it took 4 people to pin her down plus the doctor inserting the cannula!)

Every time she gets a cold she gets a high temp and a cough, always has done from being a baby. I completely understand the need to test and isolate, but with her being at nursery and picking up various viruses, and not being able to get test results, we always have to isolate for the full 10 days. Anyone else in a similar situation? Just venting really!

Have you been doing throat and nose. Would she cope with nose only?
My 5 year old really struggled on throat but i was told with younger ones you can just do nose.

Could you just do two swabs of the nose rather than the throat and nose? I'd try the nose swabs when she's sleeping

Thanks for replies, yes just nose, she just gets so distressed with anything “invasive” - she’s had lots of hospital stays and medical procedures and to be honest she’s got worst rather than better with those experiences

Poor little thing it’s horrid and they don’t understand . Can you do it whilst she is asleep. My ds2 had many of the same issues with other tests and I used to roll the duvet around him whilst he was sleeping and do it in the dark. I felt awful but it was better than the drama otherwise , even teethcleaning was a nightmare 🙁

Agree with pp have you tried when she's asleep? Don't worry if you can't do it for the length of time in the instructions. Last time I did DS (age 3) I barely got a couple of seconds up each nostril and still got a result.

No haven’t tried when she’s asleep as they’ve been at drive through centres but will definitely be ordering a home test next time and trying this! Thank you

Would also agree about doing it at home in her sleep. Ds screamed the place down when I had to take him for a drive thru one and I know if I had to get him tested again it would need to be at home. I still managed to get a result from just 1 nostril on him though, plus I was testing myself for the same symptoms at the time so was working on the principle that we both had it or neither.

It's really hard, and might be a complete no no from her but would she stick it up her nose herself?
Make sure you just do the nose (less gaggy)
Ds has complex needs, sensory issues and chronic reflux, and has had some awful medical procedures in the past, which gave been very traumatic for him.
He has had to do a couple of tests, and we accepted that if he couldn't do it we'd just all have to isolate, but when he did it himself in a mirror, it was actually ok. Admittedly I didn't think it would work because I didn't think he'd gone up high enough, but the tests didn't come back as void so it must have been ok.

Good luck op - it is really hard when a child has to have lots of medical stuff done.

We've had to test DS (4) a few times and it's been traumatic

The least awful option was going to a drive-through place and asking for an "isolation bay" where you're allowed to get out of the car. We left DS strapped into his car seat, I sat next to him and held his arms down and his head still, while DH stood on the other side of the seat (outside the car) and swabbed his nostrils. It was still horrible but it was over quickly at least (unlike previous times with lots of fighting and screaming) and we could get him out of the seat for a cuddle afterwards. A kind man came to see if we were ok and made a fuss of DS, gave him a sticker which he wore proudly all day and transferred onto his PJs at bedtime

You could also order a home test and do it in their sleep but I would be stressed about waking them up, I would worry about making them scared to go to sleep as they don't trust you not to swab them while they're sleeping.

I was going to say same as Hazey, would she put it up her own nose?

I found this helpful
theconversation.com/6-tips-to-prepare-your-child-for-easy-covid-19-testing-147415