Toddler with Covid?

[BumbleFlump]

Dd has developed a very obvious continuous cough today.

Tested the whole family with lateral flow tests this morning, all negative.

It’s so difficult to swab my toddler (she’s also a bit ADHD I think) and very stubborn.

She was in the paddling pool all day yesterday so maybe just got too cold.

If your toddler has tested positive, what symptoms did they have?

Need to do a proper test. Does anyone have any tips for swabbing a reluctant toddler? Throat is out of the question. We tried bribing with ice cream but no.

Might try swabbing tonight while she’s asleep.

You’ll need a pcr test rather than lateral flow as she’s symptomatic. The lateral flow tests aren’t sensitive enough to rely on. You’re able to just swab her nostrils. I’ve heard some people say they’ve been able to swab their toddler fairly easily but it wasn’t my experience. If you’re able to get a home test and swab while asleep that would be great if not you may need two of you. Talk it through first so she knows what to expect and maybe have her watch something while she has it done. My husband had to hold my little boy still while I swabbed him as he was very upset and resistant to it. I wish they were able to develop a less invasive test for children.

You can just do both nostrils on a toddler. We were told this at a walk through testing centre. Like everything else with a reluctant toddler it is probably useful to have 2 adults...one cuddling tightly while holding the arms down and the other get it over with quickly. This is generally the way most medical procedures involving mouth/nose/ears are carried out on young children. Swabbing both nostrils is a lot easier than throat and will be over very quickly.

Cuddling as in child on adults knee facing outwards with one arm over the child's arms holding the arms down and the other across the forehead or hand on forehead. It stops them being able to chuck their arms or head around.

My now two year old had it at 20ish months. She had 2 or 3 days of a raging temperature. No other outward symptoms, no snotty nose, no cough, just a temp and no appetite.

Could you do a pcr test at home and swab whilst they sleep? I’ve done this for my 4 year old!!

We think DS had it when we all did back in January (he was 2 and 3 months). We didn't test him as we didn't want to put him through it and we were all isolating anyway as DH, DD and I had all tested positive. He had a temperature and was unsettled one night and that was it. No cough or anything. He may not have had it of course as we didn't test but it seems likely.

We only tested DD as she'd gone with DH to get his. She had no symptoms at all (age 7)

Mine had a very snotty/runny nose, a hoarse voice and an occasional barky cough. No temperature.
Did her test while she was strapped into a car seat.

I was convinced my toddler had covid last week. Temp of 39.9 and a new cough. We went to a drive through for a test which we did ourselves - negative!

Most successful tests for us have been at the drive in centres as dd has been restrained in her seat so can't resist too much

You need a proper PCR test and whole family to isolate until the results - but you know that I'm sure.

We did just nostrils for DD which wasn't too bad. Take chocolate for afterwards!

At some test centres I think they do the swab for you but not sure if that's better or worse!

@Findahouse21

Most successful tests for us have been at the drive in centres as dd has been restrained in her seat so can't resist too much

Wow! You strap your kids down so they can't resist, then administer medical procedures on them.

To what end? Not like toddlers die from Covid. Just isolate if you're worried about spreading it (to people who will eventually catch it anyway)

My three year old had Covid just before Christmas.

He had none of the usual symptoms - no temperature or cough at all, he just felt a bit generally unwell and sick for a couple of days. The only reason we even got him tested was because he was isolating after being in contact with a positive case at his nursery, and I couldn't in good conscience have kept sending his brother to school unless I was sure he didn't have it.

My sister is a Dr and she says most young children have very few symptoms at all or the kind of random ones my son had. My daughter has had a temperature and cough several times in the past six months or so and it's never been Covid.

On the test thing - we took him to a drive through place and bribed him with chocolate and peppa pig on my phone - it's not fun but it's only 30 seconds of his life.

Well it's fine to decide to do that if you and your toddler can sit at home for 10 days. Other people have jobs or siblings at school and it's not quite so simple. I've tested my 4 and 7 year olds 4 times between them over the last year - not especially pleasant but not painful, a bag of haribo later and all forgotten. Or we could have isolated the whole family for a total of 40 days instead - no thanks.

Sorry, that was to Meaty266, thought I had quoted!

Go to a drive through we have unfortunately had to test DS (he's 2) numerous times keeping them in their car seat and just do the nostrils. High reward snack for straight after.

Ironically the times he has had symptoms he's been negative and the time he had no symptoms he had covid! He remained symptom free for the whole time!

Little girls next door (then 4 and 2) had it in the first lockdown. Eldest was proper poorly (but not dangerously) w diarrhoea, sore throat, temperature and cough. Little sister just had a bit of fever and cough but not worse than your regular toddler cold would be.