We’ve had several parents of young children telling us how unprepared they felt after having to take a Covid test with their child, and how they would have welcomed some guidance.
This was Lucy’s experience:
“We left the test site feeling very much as if we could have handled it differently and could have definitely been more prepared. It almost felt like we should have prepared our daughter for a mini medical procedure, but with a difference as it’s provided by parents and in your car!
We were crammed in a car on a hot day, with big signs everywhere telling you ‘do not open your windows’ and people in high visibility jackets giving you regimented instructions through written signs and phone calls. Overall it’s not a very child friendly environment.
Bear in mind – you are only allowed 3 swabs per person for each test but when you have a child who is crying and unhappy, these swabs become contaminated easily!
There are also extra factors to take into consideration that add to the tension: ill and unhappy kids, fear for health, not to mention stressed and anxious parents as there’s school, work and financial matters riding on the outcome of the test.
I do feel that children (and parents) could come away feeling quite distressed by the experience and as it’s something we all will be needing to repeat over the winter months, we really need to make it as ‘okay’ as possible. I have heard some parents talking of physically having to restrain children to make them have a test- this is not okay.
I have since trawled the internet to find some guidance for parents, looking for simple strategies to help. There is a helpful video from Bradford City Council included here which goes through the test process, step by step with a child. I wish I had seen this before my daughter’s test as I would have definitely felt more prepared.”