So, it happened.
Despite being in virtual isolation for the past 3 months, Charlie and I were both tested for Covid this weekend.
Let me back up a second for some quick background. We live in Toronto, one of the areas in Canada that still has a significant number of active Covid cases. And if you’re new here, we have two children under 5 (Charlie 2.5 years, and Emmett 4.5 years). So, needless to say, we’ve been very, very careful about our exposure.
Her Symptoms
But even with every carefully considered decision, and every precaution taken, last week Charlie came down with a stomach bug. A BIG one. The kind that included exorcist-level puking and other significant gastro distress. She spent about 24 hours telling me she had “a bad tummy hache” (yep, she says it with an H), and then it all culminated in a morning jam-packed with vomit.
So, we did what any ill family does during a pandemic. We called our doctor’s office and scheduled a phone consult for that afternoon. The doctor called for our appointment (which I kind of loved, for the record) and chatted with us about Charlie’s symptoms, any risk factors, and any potential Covid exposure she could have had.
And while we both agreed that her exposure risk was quite low, she expressed her concern that vomiting and stomach upset are one of the Covid symptoms that can present in children. And she requested that we both go get tested, just to be safe.
While I completely agreed with the course of action (always better safe than sorry!), I can’t pretend that I didn’t consider how difficult it might be to have a masked stranger stick a very long cue-tip up both sides of my two-year-old’s nose.
The Covid Test
So, let’s break here for a quick summary on what the Covid test consists of:
Here’s a link to an article that I feel pretty accurately summarizes what it’s like to get tested for Covid. Take a second to watch the video if you’re not familiar with the process.
Yes, it is a very long swab, and yes it really does go in that far.
In our case, they swabbed both nostrils. One after the other.
And yes, it’s the exact same process for a two-year-old. Let that sink in.
I’m not going to mince words; the test isn’t comfortable.
But that being said, it’s not painful either. And we absolutely shouldn’t let some temporary discomfort stop us from being tested for Covid, if we’re concerned about having the virus, right?
Right.
But try explaining that to a two-year-old.
What Helped Us Get Through It?
So, here are a few things that either helped us with Charlie during the process, or that I wish I’d known ahead of time:
- It will help to explain ahead of time that all of the doctors and nurses will be wearing special masks and gowns to keep everyone safe. I said things like “you know how you wear your mask to help keep everyone healthy? The doctors will be wearing their own special masks and clothes to keep everyone healthy too!”
- Let them know that the doctor will use a swab to tickle/rub the inside of their nose. Knowing which body part the doctor is going to touch really helped Charlie.
- In our case, because I was being tested first, I let Charlie sit on my lap and watch my swab being taken. That way, she could see the doctor touching me, and see that I was okay during and after the test. Note: only do this if you’re confident you’ll be able to stay calm throughout the procedure, otherwise your anxiety will likely make your child more anxious.
- I told Charlie that she was going to sit on my lap, and that I would help hold her head and arms so that we could be super still… “let’s try to be frozen like Elsa while the doctor helps us!”
- We also sang Wheels on the Bus to distract her! Guys. I pulled out all the stops.
- If you have a young child like Charlie, you’ll probably need to hold their forehead and arms fairly tightly against your body to keep them still enough for the full 10-20 seconds the test takes. They will stick the swab in your nostril, and rotate it around about five times, and then repeat. If you start with calm, firm pressure right from the beginning, it’ll help your child feel safe and calm too (because they WILL try to thrash around guys, it’s NOT comfortable).
- After the test was finished, I let her know that it was okay to feel upset and once we’d had a few deep breaths together, we quickly started thanking the doctors and nurses for keeping everyone healthy, which was a great way to distract her. I kid you not, she was waving like the queen and saying “I thank chew, I thank chew” to everyone we saw while we walked out!
Our Results
So, after it was all said and done, and we’d both officially been tested for Covid, we had to wait 24-48 hours to get our results (during which we of course were in voluntary quarantine). And even though I knew we’d done everything we could to keep our family safe and limit our exposure, it’s still a humbling experience. Waiting for your results to come up online.
And we’re negative. Negative for Corona virus.
I’ve never been so happy to see a negative result in my life. And I’m so grateful.
Grateful not to be battling the virus, and also grateful to every healthcare worker who took such wonderful care of us.
Every person in a mask who told Charlie how brave she was, how pretty her dress was, or how her mask made her look like a superhero.
You made a huge difference in that little girl’s day. And a huge difference in this mama’s heart.
