If I'm positive do I have to test my toddler?

[rosesarereddish]

Me and h both positive, toddler coughing and generally unwell, obviously has it too. Do we need to actually test him? We will all be isolating for 7 days anyway and he won't be in contact with anyone? He hates the tests and gets so upset and I'm just not sure what the point is when he obviously has it

I’m not sure there’s a point in testing him tbh. You’re unlikely to get an accurate test anyway if he’s wriggling around. I wouldn’t test my toddler if DH and I were both isolating.

Won't he have to isolate for 10 days if you don't test him? The 7 days is only if you have two negative tests.

I wouldn't bother no

@lunar1

Won't he have to isolate for 10 days if you don't test him? The 7 days is only if you have two negative tests.

We have isolated for 3 days whilst waiting for results already

You don’t need to unless he is to go out on his own

I'm Bly benefit is that it would be on his medical record. But not sure why you would ever need that info.

I've done it only because I can let my childminder know, for that peace of mind. I'd feel better if she was negative basically and knowing she hadny been positive at care.
Me and dp still waiting for results back but got very clear positive laterals.

We didn't bother testing my then 1 year old a year ago for the same reason. We tested his two older siblings, both of whom were exposed to the same positive contact, assuming either all of them had it or none. However, only one of them tested positive, and the results were so slow to come back that by the time we got the results it was too late to test him. It would actually have been useful to know if he'd had it. With previous infection providing some protection against reinfection it would be helpful information about deciding what to do about plans to see people like grandparents each time there's a positive case at his preschool.

I wouldn’t.

I wouldn't do it. How will it benefit them?

I did so that it’s on their medical record.

You can't assume that isolation will only be 7 days because they shortened it. Dd has had totally asymptomatic covid and still had a strong line on day 8 yesterday.

Personally I would. It means it's on his medical
Records and exempt from routine testing for 90 days. But I know how traumatising it can be for little ones!

In wales they don't test under 5s unless a dr says to even if they are symptomatic, so under your circumstances i wouldn't as he would be at home anyway with you.

No I've never tested my toddler. Will is fuck put him through that. We co sleep and he's on me half the time - if I'm negative so is he!

A nurse in our group tested her vulnerable toddler whilst he was sleeping by only swabbing his nose. She said it was very easy to do. HTH

In January when dh tested positive and ds3 had a low grade fever for 4 days I called our gp. Gp said do a covid test, if it is negative I will give him antibiotics (ds3 also had a cough). If it is positive continue giving him calpol and if he don't get better by x date call back.
Ds3 got better the following day, before the test results came.

From that expectation I decided to covid test ds3 everytime he gets a cough. Because covid is not the only thing that causes coughs and fever. It is good to rule out viral infections before treating for something else.

Ds3 got covid again (alongside all of us) and we are all doing so much better this time.

I swab when asleep too, just 5 times around each nostril and not too high up in a young child.

Just curious why people are testing so that it goes on medical records. Why is that?

@ZoBo123

Just curious why people are testing so that it goes on medical records. Why is that?

I don’t know. I think the argument is that if they get long Covid etc but the thing is, isn’t is 90% of school age children have now had Covid according to official stats? It’s rare, and will soon be vanishingly rare, for a child NOT to have had Covid at least once. It would be pretty odd if a GP didn’t believe you given that it’s happened to almost all children.

Why would you do such a cruel thing ?

So long as his isolation starts from the start of his symptoms not yours and is 10 days, not 7. But I would test (and have done with mine) if it's tolerated ok (with lots of bribery probably!).