How-to videos, practice runs and going ‘low and slow’ when swabbing can ensure at-home rapid Covid tests go smoothly, doctors say
To minimise first-day stress, Levi recommends doing a practice run a few days in advance. It may be helpful to practise with a cotton bud before using a precious RAT kit, he adds.Dr Karen Price, president of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners, says it’s important for adults to have a clear idea of how to perform a RAT “so that they’re not afraid and they don’t feel they’re going to hurt their children in any way”.
In children, a swab should be inserted only 1 to 2cm into the nostril, compared to 2 to 3cm in adults. One is a saliva test, which involves holding a device under the tongue for two minutes. The other, termed an “oral fluid test”, involves spitting into a tube. “Doing it twice a week, if they’re going to cost about $20 per test, is going to be pretty expensive in the long run,” Levi says. “The vast majority of kids – as long as parents know how to do it slowly and comfortably – would be able to do well with a nasal swab.”
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