4 year old DD - symptoms but negative LFT

[DefinitelyNotHugo]

My 4 year old has a slight cough but is mainly sneezing and has a runny nose. She is a bit lethargic and has been grumpy today. She seems to have got worse throughout the day - more sneezy and generally unwell seeming. No temperature at all at any point, I've taken it a few times.
I just tested her and it was negative - do I just go with this or should I try and get her a PCR? I've obviously heard all the stories about LFTs being unreliable and I'm also not confident how well I did the test as she was super brave and compliant but also gagged a lot.
I'm worried about infecting anyone if she has got it, particularly my parents and parents in law who we see a lot (all double jabbed but still a concern). WWYD?

PCR test.

Anyone with symptoms should have aPCR test.
LFTs are an attempt to pick up a proportion of the asymptomatic cases in the community or in particular workplaces, not for checking people with symptoms.

Book a PCR for tomorrow morning - sounds like she has symptoms that could be Delta version Covid, but might not be. That way you'll know for sure and can act appropriately rather than second guessing yourself. You may have to keep her off school/preschool on Monday if results take a while to come back.

I would do a PCR.

Lateral flows aren’t for people with symptoms as they miss lots of cases so you need a PCR test as she has symptoms. Lateral flows are helpful for catching people who otherwise would be unaware that they are carrying it. I hope the PCR is negative and she’s better soon.

PCR required but there are lots of child bugs with similar symptoms to covid.

Thanks for the replies. Just wondering if these count as 'symptoms' though - she doesn't have a cough as such, although she has coughed a couple of times. It seems more like a reaction to the generally snottiness (excuse the grossness).
She hasn't got a temperature or a change in taste or smell (she says.) No sore throat or headache. Mainly snotty, a bit lethargic and sneezy. I would absolutely put it down to a slight cold in normal times and probably not even give her calpol.
Will 119 offer her a test? I've heard unless you have at least one of the three main symptoms they don't?

Totally agree it sounds from reports in the press etc that it could be delta symptoms. Although I've still heard 119 are not offering tests unless it's one of the three 'original' symptoms. I'll call them and see

Just tick that she's coughed

I thought it now listed other symptoms as well, but i might be wrong.

No need to call 119, you can go online and book a test. No one checks if you have symptoms when you go for the test and no one would begrudge a mum wanting her child to be tested.

Don't ring. You go on the website and book a test. You click that she has a symptom. That's it.

Just go online and book a test, it asks if you have symptoms and you just tick yes.

PCR test . Runny nose is one of the new symptoms.

Thanks all. Booking now for the morning.

Anyone displaying symptoms needs a PCR test and the whole household needs to isolate until the results come back.

15 months in and people still don't understand the rules

(The LFTs are not very accurate)

@careerchangeperhaps

Anyone displaying symptoms needs a PCR test and the whole household needs to isolate until the results come back.

15 months in and people still don't understand the rules

(The LFTs are not very accurate)

There's always one on here 🙄

Technically not 'official' symptoms. But thanks for your input 👍🏻

@careerchangeperhaps I hate it when people say this. I had a similar situation and got rude posts too. We may be however many months in but most of us aren't dealing with black and white situations and for most of us we haven't had to deal with it repeatedly month after month.

Hayfever season has sent me into a total quandary as Delta variant symptoms resemble hayfever. I can't PCR test every time DD rubs her eyes or coughs because of pollen.

[quote PandemicPalava]@careerchangeperhaps I hate it when people say this. I had a similar situation and got rude posts too. We may be however many months in but most of us aren't dealing with black and white situations and for most of us we haven't had to deal with it repeatedly month after month.

Hayfever season has sent me into a total quandary as Delta variant symptoms resemble hayfever. I can't PCR test every time DD rubs her eyes or coughs because of pollen.[/quote]
Thank you!! Me and DH have horrendous hay fever and have had the worst symptoms the last couple of days (definitely hay fever btw, symptoms dramatically improve with medication before anyone comes along to question this 🙄)

Thanks to you and all the helpful PPs who appreciate it's not always straightforward

My girls were snotty and had awful coughs last week. Got them tested. Results the next morning were negative.

Definitely the right thing to get a test but there are other illnesses going around.

I was glad to have the negative result as it meant we could continue our usual routine, summer camps and clubs and assure everyone that they had been tested and negative.

@MadeForThis

My girls were snotty and had awful coughs last week. Got them tested. Results the next morning were negative.

Definitely the right thing to get a test but there are other illnesses going around.

I was glad to have the negative result as it meant we could continue our usual routine, summer camps and clubs and assure everyone that they had been tested and negative.

Thank you, helpful to know. Hope your girls are feeling better.

I really hope DD is negative as she went to a birthday party yesterday after school 😬

No symptoms at all at that point.

@DefinitelyNotHugo it's so hard isn't it? I mean we all know the rules and advice but it's difficult when it's you / your child and you're worried and in the grey area of hay-fever symptoms.

I think I might have scarred my daughter for life by telling her to try and hide her hayfever symptoms. I feel awful! I also doubled her dose of antihistamine slightly before the age you're meant to be but I had to.

My dd (10) came home on Thursday from school feeling unwell, snotty nose, clammy and said everything tasted funny. I kept her off on Friday and we had a pcr test. Still waiting on the results!
I’m hoping it’s a summer cold. Good luck with your test.

[quote PandemicPalava]@careerchangeperhaps I hate it when people say this. I had a similar situation and got rude posts too. We may be however many months in but most of us aren't dealing with black and white situations and for most of us we haven't had to deal with it repeatedly month after month.

Hayfever season has sent me into a total quandary as Delta variant symptoms resemble hayfever. I can't PCR test every time DD rubs her eyes or coughs because of pollen.[/quote]
No, but presumably if DD was coughing and was known to have been in close contact with a positive Covid case very recently you would double-check with a test and not just assume hay fever?

You’re backtracking OP which is why some people have been snippy. In your OP you said “ has a slight cough”. A cough has always been a symptom you test for. The fact that in addition she is feeling unwell, there’s a new variant and cases are increasing - a PCR test is a no- brainer