Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Covid

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Original poster

GPS giving different advice to gouvernment....

30 replies

november90 · 16/06/2021 21:06

Has anyone else experienced this?
Gouvermenr advise is obviously any symptom any age test and isolate.

Well my 12 month old had. A temp of 40 the other week and it lasted a few days but despite a few visits to the go I was told to not test him if all adults in the house were LF testing with a negative result as it's too difficult to test babies.

I took my 4 ye old for a test today which was by far the worst and most traumatic experience of my life as he was beyond distressed, the assistant at the test place and the GP who I spoke to later both said that they wouldn't expect children to be tested if the adults get negative LF tests at home because it's so traumatic for children. So just test adults and keep them at home whilst they have symptoms.

It makes more sense to me, and I'm happy with the advice but it seems so different to what's being drilled into our brains by Boris and gang. I've complied with everything but I will not be taking my 4 year old again. He struggles a lot with doctors dentists etc and he was absolutely distraught. I am happy that GPS seem to be recognising this and coming up with a solution.

OP posts:
Original poster
november90 · 16/06/2021 21:07

*GPs not GPS 😂🙈

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 16/06/2021 21:12

It's really not difficult to test children/babies. I think that's poor advice unless the child is isolating for the full period. I took my toddler to get a test this morning as he has a cough. I distracted him with my phone, he got exceedingly cross when I did the test but perked up after some chocolate buttons. It wasn't fun and I was 99% sure he just had the same virus that has been going round his nursery but it was the right thing to do especially as I want him to go back to nursery ASAP.

DarcyLewis · 16/06/2021 21:14

If your child doesn't need to go to nursery/school and you can all stay at home, then don't test them.

mynameiscalypso · 16/06/2021 21:16

@DarcyLewis

If your child doesn't need to go to nursery/school and you can all stay at home, then don't test them.
That's true - presumably you all have to isolate if you have contact with someone with symptoms (if they haven't been tested to prove that it's not covid)?
Original poster
november90 · 16/06/2021 21:28

@mynameiscalypso glad the test wasn't difficult for you but it's a bit condescending to say that as a general thing particularly when you can see from my post how distressed my son has been today.

OP posts:
mynameiscalypso · 16/06/2021 21:31

[quote november90]@mynameiscalypso glad the test wasn't difficult for you but it's a bit condescending to say that as a general thing particularly when you can see from my post how distressed my son has been today. [/quote]
Of course children are going to be distressed but it's a bit like vaccinations. It's not fun but it's got to be done. Nobody I know likes giving their child a test but everyone has given them in multiple occasions because it's the right thing to do.

Pootle40 · 16/06/2021 21:33

I wouldn't test my children.

Original poster
november90 · 16/06/2021 21:39

@mynameiscalypso but in all fairness you're saying this based on your experience, with a child who had the test. So it's a bit ignorant really to speak on behalf of all children who have lots of different struggles. If you had experienced how distressed my son was today you would have a completely different opinion. He hid in a cupboard for an hour crying. So it's not just one of those things, contingencies plans can be out in place to help those that don't find these situations easy and I'm so glad that doctors are responding to this and supporting it.

OP posts:
PicsInRed · 16/06/2021 21:39

It's really not difficult to test children/babies

As always, that depends on the child.

For example, some kids virtually require a swot team to administer childhood vaccines.

Endofether · 16/06/2021 21:41

@november90

Has anyone else experienced this? Gouvermenr advise is obviously any symptom any age test and isolate.

Well my 12 month old had. A temp of 40 the other week and it lasted a few days but despite a few visits to the go I was told to not test him if all adults in the house were LF testing with a negative result as it's too difficult to test babies.

I took my 4 ye old for a test today which was by far the worst and most traumatic experience of my life as he was beyond distressed, the assistant at the test place and the GP who I spoke to later both said that they wouldn't expect children to be tested if the adults get negative LF tests at home because it's so traumatic for children. So just test adults and keep them at home whilst they have symptoms.

It makes more sense to me, and I'm happy with the advice but it seems so different to what's being drilled into our brains by Boris and gang. I've complied with everything but I will not be taking my 4 year old again. He struggles a lot with doctors dentists etc and he was absolutely distraught. I am happy that GPS seem to be recognising this and coming up with a solution.

I would never test a young child

You can make up your own mind

mynameiscalypso · 16/06/2021 21:42

[quote november90]@mynameiscalypso but in all fairness you're saying this based on your experience, with a child who had the test. So it's a bit ignorant really to speak on behalf of all children who have lots of different struggles. If you had experienced how distressed my son was today you would have a completely different opinion. He hid in a cupboard for an hour crying. So it's not just one of those things, contingencies plans can be out in place to help those that don't find these situations easy and I'm so glad that doctors are responding to this and supporting it.[/quote]
There's always been a contingency - you can all self isolate for 10 days. Testing isn't mandatory because you can just all not leave the house. I just don't really see why anyone would choose that over a few minutes of wrestling a child and shoving something up their nose for 10 seconds.

WhiteFlowerVase · 16/06/2021 21:47

I think you might be missing part of what the GP is telling you. Yes, testing his distressing so instead you can keep your kids at home. But you need to do that for 10 days. And the whole household can’t leave the house.

Original poster
november90 · 16/06/2021 21:58

@WhiteFlowerVase nope that's not what they told me... they said that if the child had Covid someone in the house would most definitely have it too so keep them at home whilst they have symptoms and are unwell and if no positive test then continue as normal.

OP posts:
TheKeatingFive · 16/06/2021 22:07

Sounds sensible enough to me. I don’t think traumatising the under 5s is really the direction we should be taking here.

I look forward to being flayed alive on here for that view.

DonnatellaLyman · 16/06/2021 22:11

Either the GP was wrong, or you misunderstood. Lateral flow tests will miss 1 in 3 cases, this is why they are not used for symptomatic testing. Great for asymptomatic as they have v few false positives.

Anyone who has one of the three symptoms needs to have a PCR test done, or the household isolates for 10 days. I’m sorry your 4 year old was upset - you do, of course, have the choice to stay at home for 10 days instead next time. I’ve found it easiest to do the baby asleep in a car seat or buggy - by the time they’ve realised and woken up it’s over.

If you like anecdata, my 3yo was positive after coughing overnight, despite us all being negative on sequential PCRs. Luckily we tested and she didn’t pass it on.

PurpleyBlue · 16/06/2021 22:14

The self test booklet says -
"do not continue the test if the child has any pain or asks to stop."

"If for any reason you can't do the test, please continue to self-isolate as a household"

PurpleyBlue · 16/06/2021 22:20

Oh and thats for a PCR test.

So if you think it is too distressing and you can't do the test then there's an alternative. I hope this helps, it isn't nice doing the test on a little one.

Hodgeheg92 · 16/06/2021 22:30

Friend's 3yo DD tested positive, nobody else in the house did from their lateral flow tests (health workers so fully vaccinated).

If she'd had your attitude, she could have spread it through her nursery, friends and family and then who knows what the effects would have been.

We've all got a part to play and sticking a swab up my child's nose is much less painful than losing a family member to covid (which I have also done, through them catching covid in hospital)

Original poster
november90 · 16/06/2021 22:39

@Hodgeheg92 sorry you've lost a loved one.
It's not my attitude though, I don't have an attitude. My post was about the advice I was given following my sons reaction today. I didn't suggest this, it wasn't my idea.

I really appreciate the reply's but I don't need several people telling me the alternate is to isolate, I am already aware. This post is because the GP and test lady told me something different today and I wondered if anyone else had had this advice.

Im gonna check out of this thread now because it's not really the discussion I was hoping to have.

Have a nice evening all.

OP posts:
Pootle40 · 16/06/2021 22:42

@TheKeatingFive

Sounds sensible enough to me. I don’t think traumatising the under 5s is really the direction we should be taking here.

I look forward to being flayed alive on here for that view.

I completely agree. Under 12s for that matter.
DonnatellaLyman · 16/06/2021 22:45

I completely agree. Under 12s for that matter.

Feel that an 11yo having a swab up their nose for 10s isn’t a huge sacrifice given that hundreds of thousands have died Hmm

EarlGreywithLemon · 16/06/2021 22:46

That’s not the advice we’ve had. We’ve had to test our daughter four times now (between 12-18 months) and no medical professional we discussed it with told us not to.

Rainbowsandstorms · 16/06/2021 22:51

Unfortunately the advice your GP has given is incorrect though I completely understand the distress of testing a young child. My three year old was distraught when I had to test him. I wish they could come up with a less invasive method of testing for young children. It’s very possible that no one else would have it and LFT miss a significant amount of infections too. If not testing the whole household needs to isolate for 10 days but there is also the issue that if positive close contacts can’t be isolated if no test is done.

EarlGreywithLemon · 16/06/2021 22:53

As an aside, and I know it’s only my personal experience, I had to have frequent throat swabs as a baby and child. I was a child who hated any form of discomfort and was very jumpy about medical procedures. But I wasn’t bothered by the swabs at all. Injections on the other hand…

Thedot90 · 16/06/2021 22:55

Strange. All my GP friends have been complaining how difficult it is to get parents to test their children/follow advice (totally appreciate how difficult it may be to swab a child), but I have not heard of GPs actively telling people not to test! LFTs are a waste of time and energy particularly in symptomatic people. I would get a second opinion as this information is, as you say, completely contradictory to current guidance.