Anywhere I can get a saliva test for DC?

[TotalRhubarb]

So yet again, a child in DD6's class is positive for Covid and we're being asked to LFT the kids for five days.

DD6 finds the swabs incredibly traumatic and I am frankly fed up of traumatising her for something that bears her no risk and is going to be an ongoing situation.

In Germany, it's recognised that swabs can be traumatic for children, and so their government wisely offers a saliva test option, which is just as accurate as a PCR taken by swab.

While I think it is a great shame our wonderful government has chosen not to offer this here, I'm willing to pay for saliva tests to avoid having to pin DD down and hurt her physically and psychologically, by shoving a stick up her nose and then twirling it while she screams, thrashes and wails 'why are you hurting me Mummy?' .

Can anybody recommend somewhere I can get them?

Just don't do the test. Nobody would condone a child being traumatised over a possible contact. The advice is 'if you can' and you can't.

It’s shocking. In my local area (Southampton) saliva tests are run by the health trust and university across schools, council employees, etc. they’re so much better than swabbing but I assume no one is sleeping with a minister so the contract hasn’t been rolled out further.

In your case, I wouldn’t do it. Although my child has got a lot better with the swabs now I let him do it himself.

She needs to do it her self (nose swab), or don't do it. Would she do a cursory nose swab in exchange for bribery?
If she won't consent you can't do it.

my son is the same. could you try just swabbing around in her mouth instead? i did read that covid is more prevalent in the mouth saliva than nose. not sure how this works with LFT but given you swab the tonsils the general mouth can't be hugely different.

Thanks, these replies are making me feel much better. I felt bad not doing it, but really it is too much for her.