Keeping children safe is difficult at the best of times. They require a lot of care and attention. With the current state of affairs the Covid-19 pandemic has made the task even more difficult. Asking a child to take a test or have a vaccine is probably the hardest thing for a parent to ask of their child. You need to do a lot of talking, convincing, and make hard promises to guarantee their co-operation. To apply swab tests on a child or any test for that matter, you have to make sure your child is comfortable with the whole process. Older children who can understand more make the process more manageable allowing a parent to explain the reasons for such testing, how the method will go and at the same time allow for the child to communicate any fears, stress and discomfort.
How to perform a PCR test on a Child?
Finding out that your child might have coronavirus can be very upsetting for both parents and children. If you observe your child having symptoms of the virus it is very important that this is confirmed quickly. You don’t want to take any chances and pass it on to other loved ones. Stopping the spread of the virus is just as important ensuring the whole family, relatives and friends are also protected. The best way of doing this is by regular testing. One of many options is that of a Rapid PCR home test. You can perform a Rapid PCR home test in the comfort of your own home, a comfortable environment for the children, so they feel less scared and agree to take the test more easily.
How does a Rapid home PCR test work?
You can order a Rapid home test PCR kit and have it delivered to your home. Its a simple process whereby you use the kit to take samples from your child via a swab test and then send those samples straight back to our laboratory using the stamp addressed envelope provided. Experts then test the samples to check for the presence of the virus and send the results back. It is a pretty straightforward method altogether and fast too. The idea is that you carry out the test in a less hectic environment for your child, and they are more receptive to the concept of testing without worry or stress.
Important things to note before and while carrying out the test on a child;
Follow the instructions in the home test PCR kit. The kit contains step-by-step instructions from wearing your gloves and masking up before proceeding to take the test
- Walk children through the procedures you are about to take with them.
- Assure the child that the process is simple and does not take time at all.
- offer the child a distraction like counting from one to five or reading the alphabet. A more older child can grab onto a toy if they feel like it.
Keeping children healthy
A healthy intelligent child has an active mind often manifested by engaging in a lot of activities. Children explore – their curious mind is a mind that yearns to discover new things and how they work. However in the process of exploring, children may be oblivious to any dangers and what might keep them safe. As a parent you want to make sure the child does not forget to wash their hands, use face masks and wherever possible maintain social distancing during this period. It’s a challenging task to entrust children with, but what choice do we have?
Observe changes in your child. If a physically active child starts to show signs of being less active, it could be a sign for you to act and investigate. Fever slows anyone down, children and adults alike, and most times, since it happens gradually, you have time to check and do proper testing if the virus is responsible. Apart from fever, other symptoms like headache, runny nose, sore throat, loss of sense of taste and smell are difficult for children to notice in themselves early on. You have to ask questions from time to time and educate your children to take note of these signs and report them as early as possible.
Remember, it’s not just about the safety of your child; the safety of their friends is at stake as well. We want a healthy and safe environment for everyone they come across and must ensure this by playing our parts.
Conclusion
A healthy child is a happy child. It also means happy parents – Performing a Rapid Lab Test on a child is pretty straightforward when you set up the proper environment to ease their concerns. Home test PCR kit gives you the flexibility of a relaxed atmosphere for a hassle-free testing experience for a child.