4 Things to Know About
COVID-19 Testing for Kids
If your child has symptoms such as fever, runny nose, shortness of breath, or dry cough you may consider having them tested for COVID-19. To help reduce anxiety that you and/or your child may be feeling, here are four things you should know before having your child tested.
- It is recommended you confirm the testing site you are going to is or is not a government testing site. Private companies, such as local urgent care centers and primary care physicians will bill your insurance company for any performed tests.
- A private company will have an on-site provider review your child’s history, discuss their current symptoms and any possible exposure to the virus, and then perform an examination before determining if a COVID-19 test is warranted.
- A collection sample is taken from the nose, similar to testing for influenza, and takes just a few seconds. It is suggested you soothe your child during the testing by distracting them, singing to them, reminding them of a happy story, etc. After the swab is removed, praising the child, a cold drink and lots of love will help them forget the uncomfortableness of the test.
- Samples are sent to various lab companies to be processed. Because of the increase in the number of tests being performed nationally, test results may take several days or longer. In most cases you can refer to lab testing partners such as LabCorp & Quest websites for their current testing turn-around time.
