Kid is sick, need to COVID test, right?

[Soror]

I know chances are it is just a sinus infection or cold BUT considering we have a pandemic happening I feel like we have to get her tested for COVID. dh says from what he reads she don't have enough symptoms because she is a kid. I'm thinking we have to get this ruled out b/c if she has it we've all been exposed and we can't do anything until we know.

7 yrs old; 101.5 temp last night 100 this morning; runny nose; upset stomach off/on

We can't find any place local that just does testing on the weekend. The hospital said they only give tests if a dr order them. The next closest hospital said we had to call the helpline this morning after 8.

[JustEm]

we had a few kids sick a couple weeks ago with the same symptoms  I was all prepared to get them tested because that made the most sense. But then after lots of research I could only find test sites over an hour away.  It didn't make sense to lug sick kids around for what would turn into a 3 hour trip minimum just to get tested.So, we all just quarantined for a few weeks

[PinkTulip]

If it were me, I would make every effort to have her tested. I’m so sorry she isn’t feeling well. 

[PeterPan]

I asked our doctor and he said don't bother unless he needs to be hospitalized. And honestly, the positivity rate is SO LOW in our state that I take it to mean, like you say, a lot of times it's something else.

Have any adults around dc been positive?

Edited August 15, 2020 by PeterPan

[Laura Corin]

I probably  would. If I didn't  I'd still feel the need to isolate the family.

[maize]

I would try to get her tested, because if it might be covid you need to quarantine and if the test is positive you will need to let anyone you have been in contact know.

If you are pretty locked down already and plan to stay that way it might not matter as much but the fact that she is sick suggests you have had some outside contact?

We've had someone in the family tested on four different occasions since March because of illness, mostly just mild cold or intestinal symptoms. Ours have all come back negative. I have household members who are working outside of home and around other people and we can't risk spreading covid because we didn't know we had it. So many people do get only mild symptoms.

[Bambam]

Just random musings ... (mostly because one of mine was exposed at work, so she went to tested, but then the question was ... do her roommates need to get tested too? What about any of her roommates' co-workers and families (assuming they had seen them lately)? What about her roommates' co-workers' families? Etc, on down the line. 

And they are currently estimating up to 40% of people with COVID are asymptomatic so they never know they have it. Could I have it? Should I go get tested even though I have no symptoms? 

So, if kid hasn't been involved in close contact with anyone outside of family and family can self-isolate for 2 weeks, wouldn't that make more sense than driving an hour and then waiting to get tested and then waiting for test results? (BTW, my child got results within 48 hours (negative) but many in my state are waiting up to 10 days for results).  How long will results realistically take? Is there any advantage to getting tested today vs. waiting till Monday? 

At least here, if you have any symptoms *and* doctor feels like there is a good chance you have it, they tell you to act like you have it regardless of result and stay home for 14 days anyway. If this is the case where you are, I wonder why we test at all.  

[Junie]

I would get her tested, especially since I see in your signature that some of your other kids are going to public school.  If she does have covid, it is possible that some of your other kids have it too and are asymptomatic.

[Pen]

See if you can get a telemedicine order for a home test kit sent to you ASAP.   Abbot has them, I think.

[Soror]

Now her fever is entirely gone (she has not been given anything for fever during this) and she is just snotty.

There is no place I can take her to be tested right now with just a snotty nose. Health departments might test her but they don't open until Monday. 

As far as I've heard it is not an excused absence for children who have a sibling positive. I don't think I could get them tests even if I wanted to. We'll see what the health department says.

And you have some saying that there are padding positives when you can't even get a test, pfft.

Edited August 15, 2020 by soror

[Farrar]

If you were where I live, I'd say, yes, get her tested on Monday. But we can get walk up free testing no questions asked really easily. For people who can't... sigh. That's one of many reasons this thing isn't going away soon. Assuming that she keeps healing and no one else gets sick, then I might see if you can do an antibody test down the line, but otherwise, yeah, I'd let it go if there are that many barriers to getting tested where you are.

Kids can incubate all kinds of stuff that's much more contagious for them than Covid. It's probably nothing. I hope.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Is her pediatrician’s office open?  (Ours is even of the weekend).   Would her doctor approve the test?  

[prairiewindmomma]

Fwiw, I just had another set of friends test positive. The kids had one day of “bad allergies” and a 102F and then they stopped being symptomatic. 
 

I would separate your healthy kids out and call your doctor’s office for them to email over an order to a testing facility.

[Soror]

Our doctor's office is closed. She doesn't have enough symptoms to be tested at any of the places around here.

[sassenach]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

If you were where I live, I'd say, yes, get her tested on Monday. But we can get walk up free testing no questions asked really easily. For people who can't... sigh. That's one of many reasons this thing isn't going away soon. Assuming that she keeps healing and no one else gets sick, then I might see if you can do an antibody test down the line, but otherwise, yeah, I'd let it go if there are that many barriers to getting tested where you are.

Kids can incubate all kinds of stuff that's much more contagious for them than Covid. It's probably nothing. I hope.

Every time someone posts about how hard it is to get tested, I’m stunned. It is exceedingly easy to get tested in My part of California. Like same day, results back in 1 day (though depending on the testing site, I’ve heard a range). I wish it was this way for everyone. 

[klmama]

1 hour ago, soror said:

Our doctor's office is closed. She doesn't have enough symptoms to be tested at any of the places around here.

But if you call, are you directed to an after-hours message center who can connect you to a nurse?  Many offices do that.

[Soror]

16 minutes ago, klmama said:

But if you call, are you directed to an after-hours message center who can connect you to a nurse?  Many offices do that.

Ours does not. I called 3 hospitals and called the state help line, no help!

[BusyMom5]

Hugs- its frustrating!  I think I would hold off for now, stay home and call the ped on Monday.   It sounds like allergies to me,  and we've had them here, too.  If you have had contact with anyone positive or if more kids develop symptoms,  that might make it more likely.   FWIW, the person I know who was tested last Saturday due to known contact took until late Thursday to get test results back- they were negative.  They had known contact,  then had to wait 5-7 days to be allowed to test.

[mommyoffive]

Wow, it should not be this hard to get a test.  

[maize]

Difficulty with getting tested is so frustrating.

Our state governor said in a recent briefing that he and his advisors are baffled by our recent drop in testing numbers. I could tell them one reason: the county hospital that used to offer drive-through testing that you could qualify for on the spot now requires a prior doctor's order. That adds a significant barrier for many people.

[JennyD]

4 hours ago, soror said:

it is not an excused absence for children who have a sibling positive.

 

Sigh.  We are going to be stuck in the house forever and ever, amen. 

[Farrar]

3 hours ago, sassenach said:

Every time someone posts about how hard it is to get tested, I’m stunned. It is exceedingly easy to get tested in My part of California. Like same day, results back in 1 day (though depending on the testing site, I’ve heard a range). I wish it was this way for everyone. 

Same. I'm like, but... but... surely that was months ago. Because it's so easy here now. You can make an appointment for your provider and there are two drive through sites, but if you don't want to do that, you can literally walk up to the outdoor free testing in front of the fire stations. Each once has it once a week. It rotates so it's always in different neighborhoods. When they first started it, the lines were a bit wild (we thought about using it after the protests, but then we went and the lines was like four blocks long so we left) but now the line is pretty much always less than an hour everywhere and sometimes no wait at all. It needs to be that easy for everyone.

[sassenach]

1 hour ago, Farrar said:

Same. I'm like, but... but... surely that was months ago. Because it's so easy here now. You can make an appointment for your provider and there are two drive through sites, but if you don't want to do that, you can literally walk up to the outdoor free testing in front of the fire stations. Each once has it once a week. It rotates so it's always in different neighborhoods. When they first started it, the lines were a bit wild (we thought about using it after the protests, but then we went and the lines was like four blocks long so we left) but now the line is pretty much always less than an hour everywhere and sometimes no wait at all. It needs to be that easy for everyone.

I just went onto my county Covid website- 5 major health systems and 6 independent labs are testing in our county. The one closest to me is drive through. You book it online and driving through takes 5 minutes. They often have same day appointments available. I have to get tested every 2 weeks right now and it's the easiest thing in the world. I'm truly sorry for everyone who STILL does not have access to tests. It shouldn't be this way.

[Soror]

Well, her fever went away yesterday morning and never came back. She was fine all day other than a runny nose and even that was gone by the evening. 

Everyone else is fine without any signs of any illness. I have allergies but that is an all the time thing.

I agree with everyone else it is crazy how varied the response is and how ridiculous that people can't get testing. Our country is f'd up and again I can't believe there are people ignorant to think we're overcounting this thing when testing still sucks.

[Soror]

Now dd2 has a sore throat and has a rising temp (99.3 as of now). Throat looks like it might be strep to me. Our clinic will only do tele visit which is worthless as we could do no tests so off to urgent care we go. 

[sassenach]

Hope you get some answers. 

[Farrar]

I know a bunch of people who have had strep during this. And it can live in people can get transmitted way more easily than Covid. So... here's hoping that's all it is.

[Soror]

At check in they said strep is going around. We'll see, they just swabbed her  Waiting on Dr. Such a huge number of people entering hospital don't have masks on so proud of my town, pfft. They make you wear one of course when you come in. 

Called our clinic first but they wouldn't see her, only do a tele visit( when I called she had a sore throat but no temp but they don't see sore throats now) which would be worthless without any tests. If used to be a great clinic now it is about useless. 

[wintermom]

Glad your dd is being looked at. Hope you get some answers very soon. Sorry this process is so frustrating for you. 

[Soror]

Strep was neg and urgent care dr said she thinks it is a viral infection and she doesn't need tested. She said she should wait to be symptom free for 48 hrs before being around anyone. I think we should do the rapid testing when it is available at the health center (not every day) dh doesn't think we shouldn't as it is not likely to be CVD, I think better safe than sorry. I've only let her go to the store a couple of times masked for short trips. And I just let them do TKD classes last week, not masked, I don't feel great about the risk but class size is only 5, they are sanitizing and distancing but not masked. Cases are still low here. Sigh.

[easypeasy]

On 8/15/2020 at 11:10 AM, sassenach said:

Every time someone posts about how hard it is to get tested, I’m stunned. It is exceedingly easy to get tested in My part of California. Like same day, results back in 1 day (though depending on the testing site, I’ve heard a range). I wish it was this way for everyone. 

same here! It hurts my heart that it's not this easy everywhere!!!

We are getting email advertisements asking us to just set up a time to get tested! No symptoms needed! Our kids have been able to travel a little bit this summer thanks to the ease of tests! (All the kids/chaperones were tested and quarantined over the same period of time and they traveled together and stayed at air bnbs and ate at home and picked up groceries only, and weren't around other ppl whatsoever except at the few rest stops on the drives... the best that could be expected during these times & Im so grateful that there was *some* "normalcy" this summer!)

[mommyoffive]

Ugh I am sorry that you are not getting answers to what is going on

 

[Pen]

4 hours ago, soror said:

Strep was neg and urgent care dr said she thinks it is a viral infection and she doesn't need tested. She said she should wait to be symptom free for 48 hrs before being around anyone. I think we should do the rapid testing when it is available at the health center (not every day) dh doesn't think we shouldn't as it is not likely to be CVD, I think better safe than sorry. I've only let her go to the store a couple of times masked for short trips. And I just let them do TKD classes last week, not masked, I don't feel great about the risk but class size is only 5, they are sanitizing and distancing but not masked. Cases are still low here. Sigh.

 

She thinks it’s some other virus than SARS2? 

 

What other virus is “going around” now in your area? 

 

 

[Pen]

2 hours ago, kand said:

🤔 Is it just me, or does this make no sense at all? Covid19 is a viral infection. If the dr thinks it’s a viral infection, isn’t that all the more reason for them to test? I’m sorry it’s so difficult. Have you heard of anyone else at TKD having symptoms? If it’s going around there, they should know, but without testing, that makes it awfully hard.

 

It makes no sense to me either. 

[Soror]

Fever has broke this am and she feels a lot better

She was tested yesterday afternoon. I couldn't get her into rapid testing, it is only 2 days a week and booked until next Tuesday.

It is all maddening. The local response and attitude is deplorable but then again it falls in line with the national level.

[mommyoffive]

Glad you were able to get a test.