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Original poster

Have you been getting PCR tests for your kids?

56 replies

OttilieStonelady · 31/07/2021 20:13

My child (3) has been unwell with high temperatures about 6 times over the last two months. I can't keep taking 3 days off work every 2/3 weeks. I have done so far but it's getting ridiculous. My question, is there an alternative? I feel like I'm becoming a huge pain at work. Also, would you be worried about that many temps (all accompanied by runny nose) in two months?

OP posts:
Darbs76 · 31/07/2021 22:02

I really feel for all parents of young kids in nurseries. Mine are 17 & 13 now and I remember how often they got a high temp. Can’t imagine having to pin them down for PCR tests all the time. Young kids are always getting them when teething etc.

Wellbythebloodyhell · 31/07/2021 22:13

Young children spike a temperature all the time that usually calms with a dose or 2 of calpol... id only be testing my dc it this was a continuous spike in temperature or it wasn't being controlled initially by calpol/ibuprofen

Nikki305 · 31/07/2021 22:23

It's the coughs that are the issue as you can't send them to nursery if they are coughing

PolkadotSkies · 01/08/2021 04:15

Yep. And given that lots of preschoolers have almost permanent upper respuratory tract infections, that is ridiculous. Particularly when coughing is not a common symptom of Covid in children that age. It's really cruel and also fairly pointless from a public health perspective.

Children have been treated appallingly in the UK in this pandemic. Presumably because they can't vote and mostly don't live in "red wall" seats which is all that seems to matter now.

PolkadotSkies · 01/08/2021 04:17

Or call it "blue wall" or whatever you like.

The disregard for children's needs has been constant and shameful.

clickychicky · 01/08/2021 07:28

@Nikki305

It's the coughs that are the issue as you can't send them to nursery if they are coughing
Yeah, and again it makes sense but in the old days no one would have thought twice.
clickychicky · 01/08/2021 07:30

@PolkadotSkies

The tests are appalling for children. I refuse to do any more on them now. If they come up with a solution that's not distressing for them then fine, otherwise no.
They are getting harder to do as LO knows what's coming so I'm not sure how accurate they are as often it ends up just being a blob of snot on the stick.
Overthebow · 01/08/2021 07:35

We won’t be testing anymore unless nursery requires it. So if she has a temp or cough at the weekend or my days off then we won’t test. We’ll keep her home if she’s actually unwell but that’s it.

SwanShaped · 01/08/2021 07:53

The trouble is, my daughter has a cough. So nursery know and then ask for a negative test. So it’s not like I can just keep her home for the day while she has a temp. Poor thing stuck her fingers up her nose the other day to try to stop my husband doing the test. I don’t know what else to do apart from keep her off nursery but I can’t do that coz I work.

MRex · 01/08/2021 07:58

There really needs to be poo or saliva testing for little ones.

I do think that many fevers seems a lot; there are a lot of bugs around including snotty noses, but every little bug shouldn't spike a fever at 38+, just the more severe viruses like RSV. Can you get a forehead thermometer to use as an extra check in case it's your thermometer? After 4 of those I'd want a GP to check over for some underlying cause.

tubbycustardtummyache · 01/08/2021 07:59

I’ve been in a similar position with my toddler, she’s had 5 or 6 swabs over the whole of covid
Ours take less than 24 hours locally in a small town. It might be worth travelling a bit to a quieter centre as the turnaround times can be very different (ours are 3 days if you use the city one locally)

Wakeupin2022 · 01/08/2021 08:06

I don't think that sounds like a lot of fevers. Mine uses to spike a temp at least once a week and many were inexplicable and went away with Calpol. A couple of years later he is a healthy boy who now rarely gets ill.

As for constantly testing- I feel for parents in your position. You will have to follow the rules of nursery I'm afraid as they won't take him with a temp and you need to tell them if you give Calpol I think?

CataclysmicVariable · 01/08/2021 08:30

This is what the “we should be testing for runny noses” crew having thought through. Parents of toddlers are already off work and self isolating a lot waiting for PCR tests to come back so that they can access childcare - every new runny nose would see us doing it on a near weekly basis with two toddlers. And it would have a wider impact - my husband is a secondary teacher so every day of self isolation while waiting for tests is more disruption for his pupils

SwanShaped · 01/08/2021 08:44

My very scientific opinion is, that if small children were affected by covid, then we’d be getting a lot more positive tests back. If other virus are spreading so easily, then it doesn’t make sense why covid isn’t.

Remmy123 · 01/08/2021 08:52

I dint only to get toddler back to nursery but it's so traumatic next time I'll keep him home for ten days

AnotherEmma · 01/08/2021 09:27

PolkadotSkies
"The disregard for children's needs has been constant and shameful."

Completely agree.

The worst thing is, saliva tests do exist, but the government just isn't offering them. They really should for children.

samks · 01/08/2021 09:45

This thread has made me feel so much better, my 19 month old has spiked a temp almost weekly over the last 5 weeks - he’s cutting his molars and I’m sure it’s that. We did test him when he also had a cough - which was horrific - and was negative.

I was starting to think I was being awful for not doing a test every temp spike. I’m guessing most people have the same, but we don’t currently talk about it. I actually feel ashamed my son has a temp in case it’s covid. So ridiculous isn’t it

Ivalueloyaltyaboveallelse · 01/08/2021 09:45

My sister is a teacher and her school was one of the test dummies for the saliva test. They work really well and nearly all the children do them regularly unlike LF test that other children have been given to do at home. I definitely feel for the younger children who are in nursery as this the stage they start to build up their immune systems as they explore the world through their senses and catch everything. I have a DC who is always poorly, has SEND doesn’t eat very well and is consistently catching something as always chewing. I had to keep DC home before the holidays because of another cold and get another PCR it ridiculous trying to pin down a scared primary child with additional needs who doesn’t understand why is horrible, so I definitely feel for all children having to do them often.

Verite1 · 01/08/2021 10:24

Some kids do seem to be more susceptible to fevers. When my DD was about 2, every time she had a bit of a cold she would get a fever. And sometimes really high - once went to 40.5! But she would never seem particularly unwell (unless it went very high). Then she just grew out of it. Thank goodness - before covid hit!

kcha30 · 01/08/2021 12:28

I can totally understand the frustration op. Fevers are so common in small children - mine are a little older now so not as frequent which is good. But I think the done thing is to get a test. Results are coming back pretty quick now. Plus even if it's not covid generally children should be off nursery with a fever anyway. Before covid mine were never allayed to nursery or school with a fever either.

Original poster
OttilieStonelady · 01/08/2021 12:37

@kcha30

I can totally understand the frustration op. Fevers are so common in small children - mine are a little older now so not as frequent which is good. But I think the done thing is to get a test. Results are coming back pretty quick now. Plus even if it's not covid generally children should be off nursery with a fever anyway. Before covid mine were never allayed to nursery or school with a fever either.
They're taking 3-4 days to come back where I live at the moment. The problem is his fever lasts one night then he's back to normal. So he could ordinarily go to nursery and it would be no bother. But I'm keeping him home when he's well because he's had a temp of 39 for less than 13 hours, a lot of the time with very few other symptoms. It's never covid!
OP posts:
CataclysmicVariable · 01/08/2021 13:04

@kcha30

I can totally understand the frustration op. Fevers are so common in small children - mine are a little older now so not as frequent which is good. But I think the done thing is to get a test. Results are coming back pretty quick now. Plus even if it's not covid generally children should be off nursery with a fever anyway. Before covid mine were never allayed to nursery or school with a fever either.
The difference is that the whole household has to isolate until the test result is back. My husband is a secondary teacher so that means children like yours lose out - don’t forget that. Normally he would have just been able to go to work whilst I looked after the children on my days off or took annual leave.
Lemons1571 · 01/08/2021 17:22

@CataclysmicVariable will he have to isolate once the new term starts? Once isolation of contacts ends on 16th august

SwanShaped · 01/08/2021 17:27

If it was just a temp and no cough, then I’d probably just ignore it. Most people I know are doing that anyway. It’s the cough that’s the problem.

VaguelyInteresting · 01/08/2021 17:34

Have an asthmatic child, with allergies. He’s 4 and has been PCR tested pretty much every 3-4 weeks for the last year. I’m a LP and work fulltime. I can wfh with him, but it’s no fun for anyone.

Luckily he’s very chilled out about the tests, but it’s very tiresome. He’s just started with a runny nose today, so I’m bracing for an 8am dash to the testing centre tomorrow... Again. Envy