PCR Test on young children - user error?

[SeaisBlue]

My 5 year old has a persistent dry cough (no associated cold/runny nose) and intermittent temp (kept under control with calpol and ibuprofen on rotation). He also feels sick from time to time and previously to this had diarrhoea and sickness (poss totally unrelated). If I didn’t know otherwise I would think the cough and temperature is what covid looks like - however he’s had a negative pcr and lateral flow. I did the swab up his nose for the pcr but wondering if I didn’t stick it far enough (I did as much as I thought was sensible) - how skilled at the tests do you have to be to get an accurate result? It seems near impossible to swab for the correct amount of time in young children. I’m wondering if the test was wrong - or whether he just has another virus.

I barely managed to get it up my childrens noses but both got positives. One had just a headache and nausea, other asymptomatic so neither were obvious cases.

There are tonnes of childhood illnesses/viruses that present like this. If you've had negative tests you have 2 choices:

1. Trust it and treat as you would any other illness (i.e. return child to school as soon as better)
2. Don't trust it, and act as if Covid. This means full isolation until child is recovered and no longer feverish, or 10 days have elapsed, whichever is later.

Personally I would go with 1 - I have an asthmatic child and have to trust the PCR tests and my ability to take them accurately, or he would be isolating for 10 days pretty much consistently in winter.

I've had a PCR administered by a trained tester and they only swabbed my throat and nose for 2 secs each. I do a much more thorough job myself! This has happened twice (at hospital drive through before surgery) with different testers.

You don't need to go far up the nose for the lateral flow tests, it's just a swab around each nostril.

Personally, I would do a lateral flow test every day just to make sure.

I think if you didn't do the test properly it comes back as inconclusive rather than negative

Thanks all, that’s reassuring that I’ve probably done the test ok and results are accurate and he just has a different virus.
@Fadette really interesting that the professionals only did it for 2 secs, my DS had surgery a couple of months ago and thinking about it, that was also v quick!

When I did a home PCR on DD she freaked out (SEN and doesn't understand) and it was barely in there 1-2 second each side, plus she hit it on the way out. I was amazed that it worked and confirmed positive. They must be pretty sensitive.

We got positives despite dc2 and dc3 hardly putting it up their nose - I'm not sure I did it properly either tbh as it makes me gag and I also tested positive (asymptomatically too). I would trust the result, I think they're pretty sensitive.