The fifth wave of the new crown pneumonia epidemic has slowed down. From tomorrow (19th), primary schools can resume half-day face-to-face classes in stages. Students must complete a rapid antigen test every morning and obtain a negative result before returning to school.
How to sample primary school students and kindergarten students who will resume classes later, many parents are stumped.
Five paediatric organizations, including the Hong Kong Paediatric Medical Association, also issued precautions to parents, pointing out that children may not understand and receive the test procedure. Parents are advised to explain more. For example, a toy doll is used to simulate the nasal sampling steps, so that children know the depth of the swab stick inserted. Limited, most children can be relieved of their doubts after the "drill". If the child cooperates in the sampling, parents should immediately appreciate it.
As for the sampling stick, the expert points out that for young children, it is only necessary to put the swab stick into the nostril 1.5 to 2 centimeters, and for elementary school students, it can be placed 2 centimeters deep, and then lean against the nasal wall and rotate in the nasal cavity for sampling.
▼On April 11, the Education Bureau announced that schools will resume classes from April 19▼
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Education Bureau reminds students who are positive siblings should not go back to school
The Education Bureau issued a circular to remind schools that all school staff and students must complete a rapid antigen test every morning and obtain a negative result before returning to school; schools should remind parents that if their child's test result is positive, do not Return to school and report to the school immediately, siblings living with them should not return to school, and notify the relevant school.
The notice mentioned that the Hong Kong Paediatric Society, the Hong Kong Children's Society of Immunoallergy and Infectious Diseases, the Hong Kong Children's Hospital Simulation Training Centre, the Hong Kong Academy of Paediatric Nursing, and the Hong Kong Society of Paediatric Nurses have also produced precautions for young children to undergo rapid testing.
Advocating the use of toy dolls to simulate nasal sampling steps can relieve children's doubts
Five paediatric organizations said that children may not fully understand and accept the test procedures. Parents and caregivers need to explain more before sampling, including using toy dolls to simulate the nasal sampling steps, so that children know that the depth of swab stick insertion is limited and understand When sampling, there is only a slight itching sensation on the nose.
The guideline states that most children can be tested after passing through the "exercise", and parents should immediately appreciate their children's cooperative performance.
▼On April 17th, the Federation of Trade Unions sent quick test kits to school children▼
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The swab stick is inserted into the nose to a depth of 1.5 to 2 cm
As for cotton swabs, the guidelines remind parents to refer to the instruction manuals of individual brands, but generally they do not need to be too deep; in addition, children of different ages have different depths of swabs into the nostrils.
According to the guidelines, children aged 2 to 6 only need to be inserted into the nostrils 1.5 to 2 cm deep, while those aged 6 to 12 can be inserted into the nostrils to a depth of about 2 cm, and those over 12 years old can be inserted to a depth of 2 to 3 cm.
In addition, before sampling, the child can gently blow his nose, and then the parent can use the "pencil grip" position to put the nasal swab into the child's nostril, and put the swab against the nasal wall and rotate in the nasal cavity , the frequency and time, please follow the instructions of different brands, then take out the nasal swab stick, put it into the other nostril of the child, and repeat the above steps.
Follow the three steps to stop the bleeding in 5 minutes at the fastest
The guidelines also mentioned that the chances of sampling nosebleeds are not high, and slight nosebleeds are not harmful to health; but if there is nosebleed, you should help the child to press the sides of the nose, instruct the child to move forward slightly, temporarily breathe through the mouth, and never breathe. Most of the nosebleeds will stop within 5 to 10 minutes; if the situation is not serious, the test can be repeated after a short rest.
In addition, if you find that your child has persistent nosebleeds and it is difficult to stop the bleeding, you should seek medical attention from a pediatrician.
▼On April 10, the price of the rapid antigen test in Sham Shui Po hit a new low▼
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1. How to choose a rapid antigen test kit?
When choosing to purchase a rapid antigen test kit, you may refer to the list at the link provided by the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region:
https://www.coronavirus.gov.hk/rat/eng/rat.html
2. To help children do the quick test, what preparations can parents have in advance?
Children may not fully understand and accept the test procedure.
Parents and caregivers need to explain more before sampling: you can use a toy doll to simulate the nasal sampling steps, so that children know that the depth of the swab stick is limited; they also understand that the "nasty brother" will only feel slightly itchy during sampling.
The vast majority of children are able to clear their doubts and take the test after going through the "exercise".
At the same time, parents should immediately appreciate their children's cooperative performance.
3. To help children do a quick test, how far should the cotton swab go?
Parents and caregivers should refer to individual brand instruction manuals when using the COVID-19 rapid test.
For general nasal swab sampling, the depth of the nasal swab stick into the nasal cavity does not need to be too deep.
Children of different ages have different depths of swab sticks into the nostrils, please refer to the following table.
4. If I help children to do the nasal swab sampling rapid test, will they cause nosebleeds and will it affect their health?
Nasal swab sampling There are only a few microfilament blood vessels in the nasal cavity touched by the swab stick, so there is little chance of nosebleeds caused by the sampling procedure.
A slight nosebleed is not harmful to health.
If it is found that there is nosebleed after sampling, parents and caregivers should help the child press the sides of the nose, instruct the child to move forward slightly, and temporarily breathe through the mouth. Most of the nosebleeds will occur within 5 to 10 minutes. stop.
The phenomenon of nosebleeds in children is mostly because their nostrils are small and they like to blow and pick their nostrils.
In addition, children with sensitive nose are prone to nosebleeds. It is not the disease itself, but patients often blow their noses due to nasal congestion and nasal discharge caused by sensitivity. Friction can easily lead to damage to the blood vessels in the nasal mucosa and nosebleeds.
However, if it is found that the child has frequent persistent nosebleeds and every time the nosebleed cannot be stopped by the correct methods described above, it is necessary to consult a pediatrician for proper diagnosis and examination to rule out whether there is any nasal cavity or nasopharyngeal. or "blood clotting".
▼The Tsuen Wan Chamber of Commerce School in Tsing Yi prepares for class resumption▼
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5. Anecdotal myths about stopping nosebleeds:
Some parents and caregivers use tissue paper to stop nosebleeds, hold their head back, or press the bridge of the nose to stop nosebleeds.
Plugging the nostrils with a tissue will further damage the mucous membranes of the nasal wall; tilting the head back will not stop the bleeding, and the backflow of blood in the nasal cavity will put the child at risk of suffocation.
6. How long after the hemostasis can be done for the second time?
If the nosebleed is not serious, it is usually enough to take a short rest.
Do not use too much force when doing the nasal swab again, so as not to scratch the nasal mucosa.
7. When is the right time to take a quick test for children?
What lifestyle habits should I avoid before testing?
Parents and caregivers should take a nasal swab after the child wakes up.
Parents and caregivers should take nasal swabs in the morning. If the child fails to sit up in time, the sample can be taken before the child wakes up.
Before sampling, avoid rinsing your nose, drinking water, eating, brushing your teeth, and gargling your mouth, as these will reduce the number of viruses on the mucous membranes of the nasal wall, thereby reducing the sensitivity of the test.
8. Is it better to help children pick nasal swabs for sampling, or is it better to collect samples from deep throat saliva?
Which one is more accurate?
Each detection method has different sensitivity (Sensitivity) and specificity (Specificity), and the degree of accuracy also varies depending on the sampling method and whether the steps in the instructions included in the test kit are followed.
The time required for different detection methods also varies greatly.
If the test is to be used as a point-of-care test for daily return to school, choose a test that can be performed at home prior to school, that children are acceptable and willing to be resampled, and that provides immediate results.
It is generally difficult for children to perform the "Ka-Too" action, so it is difficult to collect standard deep throat saliva samples.
Moreover, the results of the deep throat saliva test take time, and it may take one to two days for the results.
Parents take nasal swabs for their children before returning to school. As long as they are done properly, the results will soon be available.
Identifying schoolchildren infected with the new coronavirus in a timely manner can provide early treatment and prevent the spread of the virus in schools.
▼Reporters tried a new coronavirus rapid antigen test▼
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9. Can parents use the oral test to do a quick test for their children?
The oral rapid test method has not yet been approved by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.
In addition, if the child holds the test stick and makes too much movement, it will easily lead to oral trauma, so it is not recommended to use this method to perform a rapid test for the new coronavirus for children.
10. Can children and teens take the rapid test themselves?
Parents and caregivers should pay attention to home safety, and should properly store and dispose of the test kits that are ready for use and used, so as not to be touched by children.
It is not recommended that children and adolescents do their own rapid tests.
11. What should I do if the rapid test is positive?
Parents and carers should read the test results according to the brand's instruction manual.
Once a positive result is reported to the Department of Health, it is necessary to report the result to the "2019 Coronavirus Rapid Antigen Test Positive Results Person Reporting System" within 24 hours, so as to provide treatment as soon as possible and avoid transmission on campus.
Please refer to the "Health Tips for Resuming Face-to-face Classes" by the Centre for Health Protection of the Department of Health.
Parents and carers should pay attention to the situation of their children. For details, please refer to the guidelines set by the Hong Kong Paediatric Society, the Hong Kong Society of Immunoallergy and Infectious Diseases in Children, the Hong Kong Academy of Paediatric Nursing, and the Hong Kong Society of Paediatric Nurses to monitor sick children.
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