Age appropriate covid testing for children

[Michellehurd77]

Hi, I have started this petition in Wales and just wondered if anyone would consider signing and sharing.. I would like the government to consider adopting a different method to testing children for COVID, an age appropriate PCR test nicknamed the lollipop test. All the children need to do is to suck on a cotton swab for about 30 seconds which is a much less distressing experience for them. It’s what they use in Germany. I have had so many bad stressful experiences of testing my children and wanted to try and do something about it.. petitions.senedd.wales/petitions/244972

In Switzerland we have spit tests at school.

Signed. They're an absolute bloody nightmare. It needs to be easier.

It isn’t recommended for under 5 in Wales, now we are being told to keep our children isolated for 10 days instead which is equally cruel to a young child if all they have is a cold symptom and so hard on the working parents. If we just had this non invasive test instead.

@Clarkey86

Hi all, I’m the person who set up the UK one so thank you OP - I completely agree and have been trying to drum up support for this!

Unfortunately we won’t get anywhere near 10k signatures if people sign but don’t share, so please consider also sharing on your own social media platforms to help boost. Mine is at 191 but I’ve exhausted my platforms and need others suppprt now.

Yes we need the shares to get the 10k signatures, please share on your own social media so we can reach as many people as possible

@Michellehurd77 I've just read the official rules on this and it says under 5s don't need to isolate for 10 days?

I am so angry the rules are different between Wales and England, how is that fair!?

Do we know what the cost difference is please?

@Nikki305 I think the rules are open to schools interpretation as ours are saying if any symptoms are displayed ie cough then they should be isolated for 10 days unless parent deem a test necessary.

I agree though the different rules for different countries in the uk is not helpful.

@Mybalconyiscracking

Do we know what the cost difference is please?

No sorry but we have looked into how much to buy sample stocks are privately and the more you buy the cheaper the costs. I am assuming the testing of the sample is a similar cost to current as they are both pcr tests.

@Michellehurd77 well that is ridiculous! My kids would never be in!

Sounds much better. I might actually test mine if we had an option like this.

Although it depends if it tastes like the tests we have. The worst part for me is the taste and smell of the swabs for the current tests. No way I could suck on one of those if the new tests are the same.

@Angel2702 I’ve never noticed a taste/smell but I think for younger children they’d put up with that more than the nasal swab.
At least a taste you can try and bribe them with a chocolate or something at the end!

Also I think there’s different ones - some are a lollipop type some are spit into a tube types.

I think the rules are open to schools interpretation as ours are saying if any symptoms are displayed ie cough then they should be isolated for 10 days unless parent deem a test necessary.
They shouldn't be open to interpretation. The new rules are pretty clear, under fives are really unlikely to spread Covid due to their size and only a minority in this age group are testing positive. They should be allowed in if they are well enough although this can change if there is a large outbreak within the setting.

Signed both (I’m in England). Shared on FB. One of the worst experiences of my life was doing a PCR on my 8 year old - which was inconclusive so we had to go again!

After doing a home test on my 9 year old today I'm signing and sharing, she absolutely hates having to swab.

I wish they would pcr testing kids is not fun but my guess is they say its too expensive.

I had a pcr at a walk in test centre and just in front me was a parent with a child of about 5. I thought how awful it would be to do for a 5 year old and as I went in the cubicle to do mine I could hear them screaming and getting really upset. I found it upsetting listening to a child I didn't even know ! I first did for DS when he was 10 and he found it unpleasant but was at least old enough to understand.

@antsinyourpanta It really is. I’m not generally “soft” about things but at least with injections etc they’re a rare occurrence. If we’re going to learn to live with covid and covid testing we need something that is not going to upset our children to this degree every time.

I’m also interested in how many children refuse or become distressed by the nasal flu spray this year as a direct result (I teach and usually we only have very few that are scared of it)

Signed

@antsinyourpanta it’s awful, I have tested my 5 year old 3 times so far as he often gets coughs and he is so scared of the test. I have to pin him down in a car as we have a drive through test center. Please share the link as really want the government to look at alternatives for our children.

My 3 year old has tested 10 times. It is not sustainable.

Please everyone sign both petitions!

And share share share… if you are in any parents WhatsApp’s groups or social media anything really… it’s so hard to reach people and we have a long way to go on both petitions

I've shared. It would be great if more people would sign and share the uk petition. It would be so so so much easier to do a spit test on children than the current lateral flow tests.

I've signed the UK petition.

Fortunately my DCs have given little cause for testing. DS1 has Sensory Processing Disorder, and just trying to brush his teeth is bad enough. I will only test if absolutely essential because I'm not willing to lightly risk the harm from assaulting a nearly 11 year old to gain access to his tonsils and deep up his nose.

We have done one LFT, he coughed a couple of times one Friday and it settled so did not meet the definition of persistant cough. I did manage to get him to "tickle his nose" but no idea how useful it actually was and it was not worth a full meltdown to try to be more thorough. DH was testing prior to visiting a frail relative and he was clear which was positive odds.

There is a real risk of harm to sensitive children who have to repeatedly go through this invasive procedure.

I've just signed the UK one:

Link again here:

petition.parliament.uk/petitions/598824?fbclid=IwAR1RVQgLwMn0fajsolp2T0qiARzoeO9mWDdNrJaF7hJkbUcXt5ilAPHMZVc