School has been back in session for three weeks in New Brunswick, with updated protocols and routines due to COVID-19 concerns.
Along with packing agendas and indoor sneakers, parents are required to screen their children for any COVID-19 symptoms before they leave for school. If kids have any symptoms related to COVID-19, they are not permitted to go to school or daycare until they are tested.
For some parents, this requirement complicates child care arrangements.
CHMA communicated with two parents about their recent experiences getting their children tested, to see if COVID testing has any barriers for families.
Molly Tomlik’s infant child was referred to a testing center by their physician after a routine check up. The baby came down with a fever for an evening, and had a stuffy nose for a few days. Tomlik also had two symptoms at the time: a scratchy throat and aches and pains.
She received a call from Public Health with a test appointment scheduled for the next day. During the call, Tomlik mentioned that she had some symptoms and said she would like to be tested along with her baby. She was told that would be fine as long as she brought her Medicare card and indicated to the testing facility staff that she had symptoms.
When Tomlik arrived the next morning, it turns out that procuring a test for herself was not actually that simple. The staff explained that appointments are booked ahead of time in order to generate a chart and registration number for the person being tested. After explaining that she was instructed to request a test upon arrival, Tomlik says that the testing site made accommodations for her.
They noticed that she was travelling from Sackville, and allowed her to wait on site for them to generate the paperwork. Tomlik says she waited about 20 minutes before she and her child were tested in her car. From start to finish, including travel and wait time, the testing process took approximately two hours.
Tomlik received a call at around 1pm, two hours after returning home, and was told that her swab may have been contaminated and she would have to return for another test. She explained that another test might not be possible, as she was at home looking after her two children.
Tomlik’s job with Canadian Wildlife Services provides leave to take care of sick children, but her husband’s job does not. Her children, both of whom are under five years old, presented no symptoms at that point but were not allowed to return to daycare until test results confirmed they did not have COVID-19.
Usually when one of her children catches a cold, Tomlik misses one or two days of work. Tomlik says that while turnaround time for results was relatively quick, within 48 hours, she is concerned about missing more work than usual. She says that “if I have to miss a week of work every time one of my kids gets a cold, it’s kind of a disincentive for people to actually follow the protocols.”
Tomlik says that there needs to be more guidance to determine when COVID testing is necessary, especially as we enter the cold and flu season. She wonders how reasonable it is to expect parents, some of whom may be single parents or do not have leave, to get their child tested when they have one of 17 common symptoms.
Tomlik says that everyone she dealt with during the testing ordeal was empathetic and understanding, but that the current testing system has some definite flaws.
Paula Cowen and her two children, ages five and ten, all had a mild cough and sore throats last week. An FAQ sheet from her children’s schools told her that since her children each had two symptoms, they would need to be tested in order to return to school if the tests came back negative.
She says the testing process was “relatively quick.” They were early for their appointment, and the testing staff took them in early.
Cowen describes the staff at the testing site as “kind and friendly.” She says that “the nurse was great with the kids, and was relieved that the test for kids wasn’t the one that goes right up the nose.”
Cowen says “I think it is important that parents of younger kids know that it is an easier test for littles. I think our public health workers are overworked and underappreciated. I know that the flaws in this system are not their fault but I suspect that they are bearing the brunt of people’s anger about the system.”
Cowen says that her children being out of school for long periods of time is difficult for her family. She is a stay-at-home parent, so she can be home with them if they cannot be in school. She says she feels “ridiculously lucky” for this, but that she really wanted to return to the workforce when her kids went back to school. Homeschooling is also difficult for her, as she feels that she is “terrible at it” and that it negatively affects her relationship with her children.
She is concerned for folks living in rural areas who don’t have vehicles, as she was required to drive up for testing. Cowen says a mobile testing unit “seems like the only way for so many New Brunswickers,” including the poor, elderly, single parents, and parents who do not have leave or can’t miss work.
CHMA is still looking to hear from parents about their experiences or concerns about COVID-19 testing.
If you (or your child) need to be tested tomorrow, what does that look like for you and/or your family? Do you have what you need to make that happen?
Reach out to CHMA at reporting@chmafm.com.
By M. Cunningham
