To ask you to sign a petition for non-invasive covid swabs for kids

[Clarkey86]

I know it’s the wrong forum…but i really need the traffic and social media shades for this to get the exposure it needs.

Every parent I speak to hates nasal swabbing their young children and there IS an alternative.

Please sign and then also share if you agree, it needs a lot more signatures to be considered.

Thanks

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

I actually think yanbu but I think it’ll be unpopular on here

Signed. My son has to be pinned down to have a swab now, it's so distressing

I've signed this, my 2 children have had to have so many covid tests and it doesn't get any less distressing for them! If testing is here to stay, I think an alternative is needed for those who are younger and/or find the tests too difficult to tolerate.

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing You’re probably right, and I apologise to anyone that is annoyed by it. I’ve just exhausted all other avenues and feel it’s something so many parents think is important.

Please also share on your own social media if you have signed. It’s the only way it’ll get anywhere near the signatures needed. Thanks all

Can’t we have them for adults too? The nasal swabs are horrible.

Shared on social media too

Yanbu but then I think it's pointless testing very young children

My 5YO has had that many swabs now that she just refuses them. She’s been so, so compliant and now just won’t. I can’t force her, I’m a lone parent and I wouldn’t pin her down if I wasn’t.

YANBU!!

Signed and shared. They're bloody horrible!

Not for the parents’ sake but for the young children - I’m assuming you mean under 11s?

I also think it’d mean more people took the test as there wouldn’t be this dread of it.

I was going to post thing further up thread and got distracted!

I generally mean under 11s but there’s all sorts of people in wider society who would benefit from an alternative. I also agree that more cases would be found before spreading in schools/to wider communities because people would test children more readily.

Thank you all for supporting

Signed

Oh yes I agree - there are lots of people with conditions that mean they can’t take the tests we have at the moment.

I’m just thinking if there’s a shortage and they can’t give it out to all adults, teens etc I’m not sure how easy it is to make these available

Looks like I was wrong to think it wouldn’t be popular though!

Another here who has had to pin down their dc to test. (Dc1 is fine, dc2 - aged 8 - hates them).

If the "spit" tests were available, id test dc2 more often.

@sunshinel

Signed. My son has to be pinned down to have a swab now, it's so distressing

@sunshinel Why are you pinning him down? Why does he need it?

At that cost, do you only mean if they had one of the three main symptoms or were a close contact? Not for weekly use?

@kowari Yes, as an alternative to PCR for symptoms would be the main intention.

Boo - they’ve moved it so now it will barely get any traffic. That’s a shame.

Are they home tests, or send-off tests?

Also what's the cost of them v LFT or v PCR (whichever it is they would replace)?

@toolazytothinkofausername because otherwise he moves his head and it will hurt him, he had symptoms on all occasions

Done

Is there a minimum age to test with the invasive tests? I don't have young children but I don't think I would have done one on DS until he was old enough to understand and consent.

Stop swabbing your kids