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Original poster

PCR test in this scenario? AIBU?

20 replies

Frazzled2207 · 25/05/2021 10:49

My son (year 1) got a cold about 10 days ago. Very snotty, very occasional cough but nothing to call it 'continuous' or to think it was anything other than a normal cold. Anyway the cold part has gone to be replaced by an increasing cough and last 2 days he's had a few incidences of coughing for quite a long time. So now it could be a continuous cough but it's the same thing he's had the whole time, just more of it. My husband is exactly the same when he gets colds, has a cough that persists for a very long time afterwards. DS had no fever at all.

However I am very conscious that every time a child coughs either the child or the parent gets a 'look'. He doesn't have covid but would like to be absolutely sure that he doesn't and take him for a PCR test as I am half expecting school to send him home at any moment. He is highly unlikely to cooperate. Husband is adamant that he doesn't have covid and even if he did the whole 10 days isolation would be pointless as he has had it for about 10 days. He also says it would be only for 'my' benefit so thinks I'm unreasonable.

For context, our immediate area has no local cases in last fortnight that I can see on the government map and certainly no reported cases in school (he's not really been anywhere else other than the park).

PCR or not?

OP posts:
MRex · 25/05/2021 10:59

It's slightly possible that he's picked up a second virus that's causing the cough. I'd probably do a PCR just to tell school, but chances of it being covid are near zero at this point and I'd have no qualms about identifying that symptoms started 10 days ago.

Whichjab · 25/05/2021 11:01

Honestly it's not that difficult. He has a cough get him tested, results are back in less than 24hrs

Original poster
Frazzled2207 · 25/05/2021 11:13

@Whichjab

Honestly it's not that difficult. He has a cough get him tested, results are back in less than 24hrs
I agree with you in principle and would not hesitate if it was me but it's a five year old who I am going to have to forcibly test.
OP posts:
MRex · 25/05/2021 11:14

Can you get him to do it himself?

Original poster
Frazzled2207 · 25/05/2021 11:16

we've tried that already - a few days ago tried to get him to do a LFT (I know we shouldn't rely on those but we thought better than nothing) and it was a complete non-starter.

OP posts:
Preech · 25/05/2021 11:18

I just did this with my 4 year old. It sucked -- she cried and I had to really pin her head to the car seat to get the swab up her nose. But the results confirmed her cough is just a cold, which means I won't be interrupted while I'm trying to work, to fetch her from nursery.

Give him lots of ice cream afterwards. If you can book a drive thru test, it's a little easier because they're strapped into their car seat.

strangeshapedpotato · 25/05/2021 11:53

@Frazzled2207

My son (year 1) got a cold about 10 days ago. Very snotty, very occasional cough but nothing to call it 'continuous' or to think it was anything other than a normal cold. Anyway the cold part has gone to be replaced by an increasing cough and last 2 days he's had a few incidences of coughing for quite a long time. So now it could be a continuous cough but it's the same thing he's had the whole time, just more of it. My husband is exactly the same when he gets colds, has a cough that persists for a very long time afterwards. DS had no fever at all.

However I am very conscious that every time a child coughs either the child or the parent gets a 'look'. He doesn't have covid but would like to be absolutely sure that he doesn't and take him for a PCR test as I am half expecting school to send him home at any moment. He is highly unlikely to cooperate. Husband is adamant that he doesn't have covid and even if he did the whole 10 days isolation would be pointless as he has had it for about 10 days. He also says it would be only for 'my' benefit so thinks I'm unreasonable.

For context, our immediate area has no local cases in last fortnight that I can see on the government map and certainly no reported cases in school (he's not really been anywhere else other than the park).

PCR or not?

Perhaps he gets a look because everyone knows his parents aren't taking covid seriously? Making their own guess diagnoses... not really giving a shit what risk they put others in... etc etc.

He has symptoms - get a fucking test.

EsmereldaMargaretNoteSpelling · 25/05/2021 11:55

You should have got him tested 8 days ago when it became clear the cough wasn't going anywhere. Unbelievable.

Original poster
Frazzled2207 · 25/05/2021 12:00

@EsmereldaMargaretNoteSpelling

You should have got him tested 8 days ago when it became clear the cough wasn't going anywhere. Unbelievable.
8 days ago he did not meet the criteria for a test. He does now so I shall get him tested. My husband thought I was being unreasonable and I wanted to check the MN view .
OP posts:
QueenStromba · 25/05/2021 12:00

Why the hell didn't you get him tested before? Here's had a cough for ten days!

QueenStromba · 25/05/2021 12:01

So he never coughed on more than three occasions in 24 hours?

Original poster
Frazzled2207 · 25/05/2021 12:03

@QueenStromba

Why the hell didn't you get him tested before? Here's had a cough for ten days!
No he has had a cold for ten days. He is now having the usual cough he has at the end of a cold. This has happened dozens of times before. FWIW the school sent us a letter from the local public health team that said that we should only test if their cough/cold was 'different to usual'. There is still nothing to suggest it is 'different to usual'. But I shall sort regardless.
OP posts:
EsmereldaMargaretNoteSpelling · 25/05/2021 12:03

@Frazzled2207 Yes he did he, had a new cough, that's perfectly sufficient for a test. You decided it was just a cold, no one else, you. It may well be but the point is you don't bloody know because you didn't get a test.

EsmereldaMargaretNoteSpelling · 25/05/2021 12:06

You said he had an occasional cough at the start of the cold in your first post. You should have tested and then it would have been done with.

Lalliebelle · 25/05/2021 12:06

PHE and your school are advising you not to test under these circumstances (he has a normal end of cold cough) so I wouldn't test him, especially as he hates it.

Original poster
Frazzled2207 · 25/05/2021 12:09

@Lalliebelle

PHE and your school are advising you not to test under these circumstances (he has a normal end of cold cough) so I wouldn't test him, especially as he hates it.
thanks for this I will be testing but still not convinced I have to.

Some people on here clearly don't have an extremely resistant five year old who has some kind of cold pretty much continuously.

OP posts:
Timeforredwine · 25/05/2021 12:15

My year 2 has been sent home for coughing twice from school, we know it is only allergy/asthma but wasn't allowed back till result from pcr test both times.

EsmereldaMargaretNoteSpelling · 25/05/2021 12:18

@Frazzled2207 "Some people on here clearly don't have an extremely resistant five year old who has some kind of cold pretty much continuously."

Indeed. Some of us have extremely resistant autistic children instead, if we're playing top trumps. But we've clearly touched a nerve. At least you're testing now, and I genuinely do hope it's negative, because at least you'll know for sure then they than having to guess.

CoffeeCakey · 25/05/2021 15:52

I'd get a test. I know it's a pain but it would be worse to infect someone and kill them.

Crunchymum · 25/05/2021 21:52

We took my Y1 child for a test and they met her do it herself / both nostrils.

Was the most pleasant of all the tests the poor kid has had and results were quick.

I urmed and erred about it being a continuous cough but it was definitely a cough and I suspect she would have been sent home had I sent her in without testing.

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