Closed petition Offer non-invasive saliva covid tests for children instead of nasal swabs

Closed on 12 April 2022

Non-invasive saliva tests have been available for a while and can be purchased privately for a fee.

Please offer the option of saliva testing for coronavirus instead of the invasive nasal swab for young children and those older that require it.

More children would then be tested.

Saliva tests are available and can be purchased for a fee of around £89.

Young children (and some older children/adults) can find invasive swabbing traumatic.

Parents are less likely to take their children for a PCR nasal swab as children can find it traumatic and consequently they (particularly when alone) can find it challenging to get an accurate swab.

More children would be tested resulting in less traumatic experiences for them and more accurate results to protect the wider population.