Factors Contributing to Refusal of Testing in the Pediatric COVID-19 Suspect Population

Background: Coronavirus has been declared a pandemic, and strategies like vaccination, social distancing, and extensive testing have played crucial roles in controlling its spread. Diagnosing COVID-19 in children is particularly challenging due to their susceptibility to upper respiratory tract infections. Studies have indicated that suspected patients often refuse COVID-19 testing.Objective: This study aimed to identify pediatric patients whose parents refused COVID-19 testing despite clinical symptoms and physicians' advice and to highlight significant factors contributing to this refusal.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study was conducted at the Department of Pediatrics, Abbasi Shaheed Hospital, Karachi. After consent was obtained, data was collected from the parents of 146 pediatric patients suspected of having COVID-19 using a predesigned proforma. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed.Results: The study showed that 78% (114) of parents refused COVID-19 testing for their children, while 22% (32) agreed. The primary reasons for refusal were: parents believing their child had another illness despite medical advice, fear of side effects, lack of knowledge, fear of quarantine, illiteracy, viewing COVID-19 as a social taboo, and fear of a positive test result.Conclusion: Illiteracy and lack of knowledge were major factors contributing to testing refusal and influenced other reasons as well. Through social and electronic media, it is essential to increase awareness and reduce the fear associated with the disease. Clinicians can play a significant role in educating parents. Enhancing awareness and alleviating fear may lead to greater testing acceptance, contributing to accurate disease statistics and benefiting future research.Keywords: COVID-19, Illiteracy Quarantine, Refusal, Testing.