Sick kids and covid tests

[lo]

Aug 10, 2021 0:45:16 GMT -5 jorja said:

I get my kids tested every week or so while they are in school. Tests are free and easily available here. School requires either a negative test or a note for the doctor plus 72 hours symptom free if they are sent/kept home sick before they can return.

We’ve had a couple of instances of random viruses or whatever leading to a fever since COVID started. I’ve always just gotten them tested if it wasn’t something I would normally see the doctor for (normal URI symptoms, no prolonged fever), and gone to the pediatrician in addition to testing if I suspected something like strep, etc.

Are they rapid PCR tests? My kids can’t attend if they have an outstanding test, which has taken a few days in the past.

[Becca]

Aug 7, 2021 12:07:03 GMT -5 moonpie said:

If your child has been sick during the pandemic, did they have a covid test? Did you push for it, or was it recommended by the doctor or required by school/daycare?

Backstory: Dd (2 years) started becoming sick last week. For 7 days she has had a fever (controllable), cough, and has been extremely tired. No idea what her other symptoms may be since she’s 2 and can’t verbalize them. Our pediatrician is on vacation so we’ve been using various other drs/nurses and none have asked us to test her for covid. We pushed for a test (and then a 2nd actually) and she was negative, but it caught me by surprise that no one asked us to do it. We are in high vaccination/low case area, so maybe that’s why? Our normal pediatrician is back on Monday, thank goodness.

My son came down with a high fever two days before my (vaccinated) daughter was headed to overnight camp. I brought him in to the doctor for a COVID test so that I could send my daughter to camp without worry that she would carry/expose someone. I wouldn’t have otherwise gone to the doctor for the fever, and the doctor only offered a COVID test after I explained why I had brought him in.

[starburst604]

DD (6) has had at least 8-9 tests done in the last year. A few times because she was sick, others because we had or were going to travel. She's about to get her next one because she has what seem to be allergies but we're flying on Friday. The only times we've been encouraged to get one was when she was sick enough to need a doctor's appointment, they always wanted to rule it out.

Of course, our go-to testing site with the super fast results is closed this week and I'm trying to find someplace that doesn't take 2-3 days for results, or offers the rapid ugh.

[pooh8402]

E2 has had one covid test due to prolonged illness and I was about to have surgery. He was also swabbed for flu and strep in the same visit. All were negative. E1 hasn't had a covid test but he hasn't really been sick.

[UMaineTeach]

Kid had one Covid test last fall. She had a runny nose and daycare insisted she get one or get a note from the doctor that said it wasn’t needed. Daycare has loosened restrictions on that now.

Went to the doctor today, sick visit for a low grade fever that won’t go away and runny nose with a general “looks sick” appearance. They looked at ears, listened to heart and lungs and diagnosed ear infection and recommended against the Covid test. They would have done it if I wanted.

[boxertdog]

My kids are 10 and 11 and both have been sick once during the pandemic- I covid tested both of them ASAP just to be safe. Both were negative. Different symptoms -one barfed and the other one basically had a bad cold.

[niq]

The kids have each gotten tested 2-3 times. Children's has drive-through testing, but it's the unpleasant one that goes way back into your brain. The most recent test we did at a site run by the University of Washington hospital, it's the self-administered one that doesn't go quite so far back. We'll be using that one going forward.

[sandandsea]

We’ve taken them to the county drive through test site every time they’ve had a cough or cold The peace of mind is worth it.