Video aims to take the scary out of swabbing for kids getting tested

Getting a COVID-19 test — a process that involves taking a swab deep up the nasal passage — can be nerve-wracking for anyone.

It can be even scarier if you’re a child.

Now, B.C. Children’s Hospital has released an educational video aimed at kids, with the goal of taking the anxiety out of the experience, should they need a test.

B.C. Children’s Dr. David Goldfarb got the idea to produce the video after his daughter Ella saw footage of a test.

“She saw it, and was asking if she could get that test done, so I thought if her response was that way it was a reassuring response,” he told Global News.

“It made me think that this is maybe a good thing for kids to see.”

2:07 Video helps B.C. kids understand COVID-19 tests

Close to 50,000 people have already watched the video on YouTube.

Nicole Sacco, a nurse in the emergency department at B.C. Children’s Hospital, said the experience can be scary for a little person.

That anxiety can be heightened by the fact that the person conducting the test is dressed in full personal protective equipment: a yellow gown, gloves, a mask and a face shield.

“It’s a good video for kids to see, because they can see us getting dressed up and they know there’s a person underneath,” she said.

Sacco said the video also makes it clear that kids can have support, such as a family member or cherished toy with them.

And she said it helps them understand what to expect from the test itself.

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That test involves pushing a swab several centimetres deep into the nasal passage, a process that takes abut five seconds.

“Most of the time when kids are afraid or they have a bad reaction to the test, it’s when they’re a little bit older, they understand that we’re doing a test, but they’re surprised about how far back we go,” she said.

“I think there’s a lot of power in understanding both for the parent and the patient.”

While COVID-19 has primarily affected adults, health officials believe more kids may start to show symptoms as they return to daily activities.

Officials recommend anyone who has cold or flu-like symptoms get tested.

Symptoms for COVID-19 include any new fever, chills, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, painful swallowing, stuffy or runny nose, loss of sense of smell, headache, muscle aches, fatigue or loss of appetite.

You can find out more about how to get tested at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control website, or by calling 811.

— With files from Linda Aylesworth