Are you getting your kids Covid tested for a runny nose?

[Anonymous]

yes, that's what the school recommends

[Anonymous]

School requires it so yes, but if they were not in school I wouldn't unless there were other symptoms/I developed symptoms.

[Anonymous]

If you or your children are doing in-person activities, even if you are masked when doing them, I believe you have a moral obligation to get them tested.

If you are all basically quarantining already, then I don't think it is necessary.

[Anonymous]

No. My three year old brought home colds from daycare. In MA, they are still allowed to attend with a runny nose as long as that’s the only symptom. As far as I know, the preschool never had any cases. She’s been going all year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s most likely allergies. We got Covid tests twice before for 2-year old when she was running a slight fever but I’m not doing it for just the runny nose she has right now.

How bizarre. You know most children are completely asymptomatic, right? Mine were.

So if a kid is prone to seasonal allergies, what are you doing exactly, getting them tested every few days for several weeks? Truly curious what is best practices during allergy season since it’s fairly long around here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:No. My three year old brought home colds from daycare. In MA, they are still allowed to attend with a runny nose as long as that’s the only symptom. As far as I know, the preschool never had any cases. She’s been going all year.

Hahaha! The kids have probably all had it, you were lucky you did not. Easy to have no cases when you are not testing....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We did not get ours tested after consulting with her preschool. Instead, we got tested (negative) and we are going to the pediatrician to discuss as it is almost certainly seasonal allergies. The school would feel better with a note from the pediatrician saying as much.

There are a lot of factors indicating allergies as opposed to a virus, but here are some of the key ones:

- No fever at all
- No loss of energy, no lethargy, no random sleeping in when bedtimes are consistent
- They are intermittent. Sneezing in the morning on the way to school but then totally fine in the afternoon while in the house, etc. Bad one day, gone the next, then even worse the next day. A virus doesn't come and go and has a clearer progression. If you have a virus, your runny nose doesn't suddenly clear for three days and then just as suddenly return for the fourth and fifth days.
- Both parents get seasonal allergies
- Accompanied by watery eyes but no coughing

We have been debating giving her a child's dose of allergy medication but want to wait until we talk to the ped. During non-Covid times I would not consider it because the allergies do not seem to bother her at all (they are extremely mild), and again, they come and go. It does feel a little like we'd be giving her the medication just to make other people feel less antsy if they see our kid sneeze into her mask. But I also don't want to freak people out that our kid has Covid or might be contagious with something else -- everyone's nerves are frayed these days. We'll see what the doctor says and follow her lead.

it’s really not that hard to get tested for covid

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s most likely allergies. We got Covid tests twice before for 2-year old when she was running a slight fever but I’m not doing it for just the runny nose she has right now.

How bizarre. You know most children are completely asymptomatic, right? Mine were.

So if a kid is prone to seasonal allergies, what are you doing exactly, getting them tested every few days for several weeks? Truly curious what is best practices during allergy season since it’s fairly long around here.

if you know your child has allergies, it’s allergy season, and their symptoms are exactly the same as previous years - ok. But if your kid suddenly wakes up with a runny nose and congestion- you need to suspect covid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:
if you know your child has allergies, it’s allergy season, and their symptoms are exactly the same as previous years - ok. But if your kid suddenly wakes up with a runny nose and congestion- you need to suspect covid.

+1,000. If you and your husband telework, and your kids are home and none of you are engaging anyone outside of your household, fine don't get tested. Otherwise please for the sake of public health test. You shouldn't test for another five days so in the meantime if your family is out and about waiting to see if they had covid and gave it to you you're potentially spreading to others.

I work in Covid contact tracing and have lost count of the number of people who said "I figured it was just allergies" and tested positive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. My three year old brought home colds from daycare. In MA, they are still allowed to attend with a runny nose as long as that’s the only symptom. As far as I know, the preschool never had any cases. She’s been going all year.

Hahaha! The kids have probably all had it, you were lucky you did not. Easy to have no cases when you are not testing....

Well we live with grandparents and they were fine. Actually they both got sick at various times but tested negative.

We take the virus seriously in MA so it’s not like we just ignore it or anything. But no kids tested positive no teachers....

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do people understand how almost impossible it is for a child to get Covid and for the adults in their household not to get it? This is how Covid spreads. If you're kid has it, you either have it or just had it. Just get yourself tested. We go to the testing place a couple blocks away whenever we are in doubt. I'm not going to subject my kid to that for every random runny nose or sneeze because even though the test itself is no big deal, getting one is a whole production and it's genuinely hard to do with a small child. I can easily wait 15 minutes and then get tested by someone in full PPE -- my 3 yr old would throw a fit at that entire outing and everyone would be miserable.

We do not need to be testing small children constantly.

My 14 month old had it and nobody else got it...

[Anonymous]

Yes.

[Anonymous]

No I would not. Its allergy season, and both parents are vaccinated. Pediatrician told us if there is ANY other symptom such as congestion, cough or the slightest fever then we should test.

[Anonymous]

My kid, no. Me, yes. I’ve been tested three times this past year. All negative.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s most likely allergies. We got Covid tests twice before for 2-year old when she was running a slight fever but I’m not doing it for just the runny nose she has right now.

How bizarre. You know most children are completely asymptomatic, right? Mine were.

So if a kid is prone to seasonal allergies, what are you doing exactly, getting them tested every few days for several weeks? Truly curious what is best practices during allergy season since it’s fairly long around here.

OP did not say her children had runny noses for several weeks, she said they woke up with runny noses and congestion. She also didn't say anything about a history of allergies.

My child has a permanent runny nose every spring AND has already had Covid (thanks daycare teachers!) so we know it's allergies and aren't getting her tested. But that's NOT OP's kids, so she should get them tested and if the test is negative, then it's probably allergies.