The fear of the unknown is a very real thing, and with all that surrounds COVID, it can be nerve wracking when it hits closer to come. My kids are back in school, and as a result we are following a lot of health and safety rules to make it possible. Cold and flu season can get complicated pretty quick when it comes to COVID symptoms.
My son woke up with a stuffy nose earlier last week and then the post-nasal drip started which caused a cough. I knew these were both symptoms of COVID so we were faced with a quarantine for 10-days or a COVID test before we were able to return to the classroom. After deliberation, we decided we’d go forward getting him tested.
First decision done! Next decision, how to find a COVID testing place, and which one to choose.
I received a list of the state/county testing sites, however, I decided to call his pediatrician’s office to get there recommendation for a couple reasons.
- I wanted to find a kid-friendly testing site.
- I wanted to find a place with a very quick turnaround as most of the state sites run 3-4 days for results.
- I wanted to avoid going into a clinic if I could and just do a drive through option to eliminate some germ potential.
After chatting with the nurse, I was so encouraged. She explained to me that the COVID tests aren’t quite as bad as they were in the beginning (ie – they don’t poke the Q-tip up in the nose quite so far!). She also explained to me that they have a very quick turn around with the children’s hospital near me. Plus, they are kid-friendly, have a 24-hour turn around time and were drive through! Bingo!
In our case, the children’s clinic required a referral from a pediatrician’s office to do the test. Some testing sites don’t require that so just note that when deciding on a testing site. Even though I believe they are covered under insurance, you may need a valid reason to get tested in order for insurance to cover it. In our case, we had to supply a letter to our school. I would recommend checking with your insurance should you have a question on if they will cover it. I did not have to go in to see the pediatrician to get the order. We did it all over the phone and then she faxed the order over, we called to make an appointment 30 minutes later and we were off.
Tip: Don’t watch YouTube videos about the procedure. It won’t help your nerves.
We tried to pump up my son on the way, but he had no idea what to really expect. The nurse was amazing onsite, explained exactly what they were doing and was everything I hoped for in a children’s nurse (NURSES, you are amazing!!). They took the Q-tip and stuck in his nostril for 5 seconds and then were done. It is very quick. The nurse described it as feeling like water is going up your nose. My son hated it, of course, and it made him sad and his eyes water. However, now he is so proud of himself for being brave!
We talked about how we were getting the test to be able to return to school and make sure we were safe to be around people and not spread germs. He was asking me what would happen if he did have COVID (be ready for this question, mom!) and I talked about how we would quarantine, get lots of rest, drink fluids and let our body get better. If we needed to, doctors would help us at the hospital and they have medicine and breathing equipment to help us if we need it. That calmed him down.
The next day when we got the NEGATIVE result he was concerned that a negative is actually a positive (LOL!). He was so excited he told all his friends and they all told him they had been praying for him. They all told him they were so glad he was feeling better and could come back to school. The look on his face when his teacher and friends told him they had been praying for him filled my heart. He basked in that. He told me he could feel their prayers working! Now he is able to help his friends with understanding what it will be like if they have to have a COVID test as well.
Mom, as you walk these unexpected and strange waters of 2020, be encouraged. If you take each decision at a time, you’ll do just fine. I hope this helps ease some trepidation and fear when it comes to what it is like to have a child COVID tested. I suspect we will have more tests in our future over the cold and flu season that is to come, but now we know what to expect!
If you’ve had your child COVID tested and have any tips, let us know in the comments!
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