How to prep your kids for a COVID test

As COVID cases surge here in the Triangle, it's likely more parents will be making the trip to a doctor's office because of worrisome symptoms.

Posted 2:10 a.m. Dec 22, 2020 — Updated 2:10 a.m. Dec 22, 2020

Sarah Lindenfeld Hall

, Go Ask Mom editor

Back in October, my younger daughter woke up with some troubling symptoms — chills, a slight sore throat, nausea. In normal times, I wouldn't have thought much of it. But because it's a pandemic, I naturally freaked out and worried she might have COVID. So we took her to her pediatrician's office where she took a COVID test. I'm happy to report that the test was negative, and we all breathed a sigh of relief.

But as COVID cases surge here in the Triangle, it's likely more parents will be making the trip to a doctor's office because of worrisome symptoms. For my 11-year-old daughter, the most off-putting part of the experience was that the nurse and doctor who met with us were dressed up in full PPE, not the usual face mask and goggles that we've all become accustomed too.

So, if you end up in my shoes in the coming weeks, I checked in with Wake County's public health department for some tips for parents to make COVID-19 tests more comfortable for their kids.

Tips when giving a child a COVID-19 test

Hold your child on your lap while the test is happening.
Patients ages 2 years and younger will likely cry, but remember, the test is quick.
Show your kids pictures before going to the test, including photos of what the test administrator will look like in personal protective equipment (PPE) – with a face shield, mask and gown.
Hold your child’s hands so they don’t try and push away the swab.
Try not to say “almost done” as the test is done on both sides of the nostril. Depending how the test went, a re-swab is possible or even another procedure.
Bring an iPad or phone to help with distraction while the test is being administered.

Wake County administrators also had these words of advice for parents as they prepare their kids for a test:

“I like to tell patients this won’t hurt, but it will feel funny and tickle your nose." (For what it's worth, my daughter actually laughed after the test was administered, though the doctor said that was definitely an unusual reaction.)
“I tell patients I am mining for gold, picking their boogers, cleaning their nose for them – basically, anything silly to ease the patient’s nerves.”
“I count out loud and recommend the patient counts with me. Or I sing a song while I am swabbing each nostril for 10 seconds.”
“I recommend picking a song to sing before you come for the test so you’re prepared when the time comes.”

The county also is offering free testing locations, which my family has also taken advantage of. Just know this: You'll need to administer the test yourself. But I can report it's pretty easy. The tests don't require you to stick the swab far up inside the nose, just one-half inch or so in each nostril before you stick it back in the tube. But you might want to have some plans in place if you think your child might get squirmy as you try to administer it.

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