A variety of brands on the market offer the convenience of testing for COVID-19 at home. These kits can be purchased at retail stores or online as an alternative to seeking out a testing site or busy healthcare provider for a COVID-19 test.

Alice Phillips, M.D., a Cook Children’s pediatrician, explains what parents need to know about the reliability, timing and results of the at-home COVID-19 testing options approved by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA).

First, if your child is running a fever: KEEP HIM OR HER HOME.

“Any illness with fever is likely contagious, and we don’t want to spread strep, flu or even colds,” Dr. Phillips said. “If your child feels great but with mild symptoms, at-home tests provide parents with the ability to quickly screen their kids.”

As a reminder, Dr. Phillips listed some common COVID-19 symptoms: cough, congestion, sore throat, fever, diarrhea, and potentially loss of smell or taste. However, not everyone infected with the SARS-CoV-2 virus shows symptoms.

At-home rapid antigen tests look for the presence of proteins from the surface of the virus, she explained. These tests have reported ability to accurately detect disease in the 65-85% range in patients with symptoms, Dr. Phillips said. That falls to the 35-40% range if asymptomatic.

“Timing of the test is critical,” she said. “Sometimes testing too early in the illness could result in a false negative. This is why the kits include two tests.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) considers testing a critically important tool to help reduce the spread the disease. Those who have symptoms or exposure to someone with COVID-19 should be tested regardless of whether they’re vaccinated, according to the CDC. 

Type and price of at-home kits vary. Some tests require a nasal swab, while others require a saliva specimen. Antigen tests deliver results within about 15 minutes, while the more sensitive PCR test takes at least 24 hours.

The CDC website provides these tips:

• Check the expiration date. Don’t use if past-date or if the kit’s components appear damaged.
• Read the manufacturer’s instructions completely before opening the test devices.
• Clean the tabletop or surface where the test will take place. Wash your hands with soap.
• Follow the directions step by step. Otherwise, incorrect results can occur.

Dr. Phillips gives some guidance for what happens next.

The result is positive. “Believe it! I am sorry, but your child has COVID. No repeat test is needed. The good news is most kids have mild cases. Call your pediatrician for questions or perhaps set up a telemedicine visit to discuss treatment options and for your doctor to lay an eye on your kiddo in a safe way for all.”

The result is negative. Using the second test in the kit, repeat the test in 24-36 hours to confirm the finding. In the meantime “if your child has symptoms highly suspicious for COVID or fever, keep them home to help protect your community.”

The CDC points out that the results of at-home tests might come back inconclusive or invalid due to user error or a malfunction in the device. If that happens, the CDC recommends contacting the test manufacturer for assistance.

Accuracy depends in part on the quality of the nasal/saliva sample. Whether a child undergoes the test at a clinic or at home, the process of obtaining a specimen can be… interesting, in the words of Dr. Phillips.

“Have you ever wrestled an angry Tyrannosaurus Rex? This would be what it is like to push a swab up the nose of a 3-year-old with fever and cough.

“And then there is the teenager. Tired, grumpy and does not really want to go to school anyway. You eagerly describe to them that you are going to place a swab in their nose and rotate for 15 seconds on each side. Hmmm. Not a happy customer,” she described.

A positive result on an at-home COVID-19 test should be reported to the state or local health department. This helps officials to keep accurate information on transmission rates in the community. Click here to report for Tarrant County: COVID-19 (tarrantcounty.com

TXT4 Tarrant Cares offers a convenient, safe and simple way to search for assistance with food; clothing and housing services; early childhood care; family support; mental health and counseling services; substance abuse programs; child abuse and neglect services; COVID-19 testing and vaccine information; and other critical needs.

By texting the word FIND to 67629, users are offered a guided search to access a list of nearby organizations to contact and provided with a ZIP code-specific list of resources. TXT4 Tarrant Cares is offered in English and Spanish and is available to anyone in Tarrant County in need of services. Examples of searches might include information on the nearest food pantry, rent assistance, or resources that can help residents apply for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits.

The new texting service is associated with Tarrant Cares, an online information service populated with the most up-to-date community resource listings by United Way’s 211 helpline. TXT4 Tarrant Cares draws on the Tarrant Cares database and gives users a quick, ZIP code-specific report of nearby resources to contact for support. The community-based solution is a collaborative effort by Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County (MHC), The Center for Children’s Health, led by Cook Children’s Health Care System, and Tarrant County.

“We have a lot of amazing local organizations and nonprofit agencies standing by to support individuals and families in our community, but sometimes it can be tough to figure out where to turn when you are in the midst of a crisis,” said Tarrant County Judge B. Glen Whitley, who founded the Tarrant Cares website with MHC in 2010. “TXT4 Tarrant Cares puts those answers in the palms of their hands, literally.”

The need for the new service came from feedback by a local task force chaired by Cook Children’s that studied the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). These experiences include exposure to abuse or neglect, family violence, mental illness, or any experiences that can disrupt a child’s development and lead to chronic health conditions. The ACEs Task Force worked with more than 60 partners and advisers in developing community recommendations to prevent and reduce adversities in children prenatally to age 5, to improve their health, safety and school readiness. Findings by the task force determined that getting help into the hands of local families most at risk of ACEs meant creating a more efficient and effective way for those families to access critical resources.

 “Texting is probably one of the best ways to communicate resources and information because people feel more comfortable texting than they do picking up the phone,” said Roderick F. Miles, a member of the ACEs Task Force and executive administrator in the Office of Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks. “Our vision is to keep people from falling through the cracks and we do that by creating space for them to advocate for themselves and be their own navigators, their own social workers—and then they become advocates for other people and help them navigate through the process as well.”

“The collective, long-term financial cost of not meeting the physical and mental health needs of our community’s most marginalized and vulnerable families is high, and the individual human cost is much higher,” said Virginia Hoft, executive director of MHC. “TXT4 Tarrant Cares is an important step forward in our efforts to level the playing field by giving everyone in our community immediate access to vital resources.”

TXT4 Tarrant Cares does not provide emergency response or the full range of service offerings provided by 211. A resource navigator can still be reached by calling 211 and information about services can be accessed online at www.tarrantcares.org. Individuals needing immediate assistance from a first responder should still contact 911.

About the ACEs Task Force

In 2019, the Tarrant County ACEs Task Force, created Circles of Support, a Blueprint for Safe, Healthy, and School-Ready Children. The effort was led by Cook Children’s Health Care System; the office of Mayor Betsy Price; the Office of Tarrant County Judge B. Glen Whitley; the Office of Tarrant County Commissioner Roy Charles Brooks; JPS Health Network; and supported by the Morris Foundation. The need for an easy-to-use texting service is a component of 25 priority recommendations detailed in the Circles of Support blueprint to assist families through difficult times.

About TXT4 Tarrant Cares (67629)

Launched in April 2021, TXT4 Tarrant Cares is a community-based texting service designed to help individuals and families in Tarrant County locate information on where to obtain critical resources—including food, housing, counseling, and childhood services. The texting service offers a guided search and delivers ZIP code-specific access to a database of local agencies and service organizations. TXT4 Tarrant Cares is an extension of Tarrant Cares, an online information service for individuals, families, caregivers and agencies. The community-based solution is a collaborative effort by Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County (MHC), and The Center for Children’s Health, led by Cook Children’s Health Care System, and Tarrant County.

Distracted driving is becoming increasingly common and dangerous, causing traffic crashes and fatalities. In 2015, 463 people were killed in distracted driving crashes in Texas and 3,000 more were seriously hurt.

This month, the Texas Department of Transportation begins it's annual "Talk. Text. Crash." distracted driving campaign. According to TxDot:

"In 2015, 38 percent of Texas drivers admitted to talking on their mobile phone while driving at least some of the time, according to a survey conducted by the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, and more than one-fifth (21.2 percent) of drivers said they read or send text messages or emails when behind the wheel."

Teens may even be aware of the danger, but in the teenage mind, the need to stay in touch often outweighs the need to stay safe. ‘Kids who are learning to drive right now have grown up with cell phones, so it seems natural to stay connected to their friends all the time,” said Sam McCage, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, manager of Behavioral Health Services at Cook Children’s. “When teenagers do not respond immediately to texts, they might feel that they’re being very rude or will miss out on something important.”

The most dangerous time of the year for teens to drive, is the first year after they receive their driver license. Drivers between the ages of 16 and 17 have a higher crash rate than those drivers between the ages of 18 and 19. Sixteen –year-old drivers are less experienced and haven’t developed the skills necessary to handle distractions, road hazards and poor traffic situations.

Parents can help their teen drivers by riding in the car with them, even after they obtain their license. The only way teens learn to drive is by driving, and they will get better at driving when coached by an experienced older driver. Please don’t assume that just because your teen has passed their driving test, that they know everything about driving.

In 2015, 463 people wre killed in distracted driving crashes in Texas and 3,000 more were seriously hurt

A study by AT&T states that nearly 4-in-10 smartphone users look at social media while driving and about 30 percent surf the net while driving.

The Texas Department of Transportation has begun its annual "Talk, Text, Crash" campaign this month, in hopes of stopping texting while driving and to decrease driving distractions. TxDOT reports that 1 in 5 traffic crashes happen because of "texting, talking and other distractions."

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, texting while driving:

• Impairs driving ability as much as drinking four beers.
• Increases crash risk by 23 times.
• Causes 1.6 million wrecks and 330,000 injuries each year.
• Accounts for 11 teen deaths every day.

Teens may even be aware of the danger, but in the teenage mind, the need to stay in touch often outweighs the need to stay safe.

"Kids who are learning to drive right now have grown up with smartphones and cell phones, so it seems natural to stay connected to their friends all the time," said Sam McCage, Ph.D., LMFT, LPC, manager of Behavioral Health Services at Cook Children's. "When teenagers don't respond immediately to texts, they might feel that they're being rude or will miss out on something important."

McCage said parents should talk to their kids about the dangers of being distracted on the road, but they should also be a good example for their children. Studies show that:

• 48 percent of young drivers have seen their parents drive while talking on the phone.
• 15 percent of young drivers have seen their parents text while driving.
• 48 percent of children ages 12-17 have been in a car while the driver was texting.

And for that extra measure of safety, mobile apps can block messages from being sent while your child is driving and there are devices which can stop all phone use while the vehicle is in motion.