A MUM has spoken of the shocking moment she discovered her six-year-old daughter has Covid-19.

Maddie Taylor is isolating after testing positive for the virus - despite showing few symptoms.

Now mum Nikki, who lives in Colchester, is urging other parents to take no chances in getting their children checked out.

"You wouldn't know there's anything wrong and that's why it's scary," she said.

"Maddie woke up with a runny nose on the Sunday before last (September 13).

"She was clammy but didn't have a temperature.

"I kept checking throughout the day and it stayed normal.

"Then the following day she woke up with a headache and didn't go to school.

"However, by lunchtime, she was absolutely fine and as right as rain.

"We just assumed it was a bit of a cold and she went to school on the Tuesday and Wednesday.

"Then she came into our room coughing last Thursday morning.

"It was two coughing fits, about five minutes apart, and chesty, rather than dry, so we rung 111.

"They said those symptoms counted as a persistent cough so she would need to be tested."

Mrs Taylor, who lives with husband Stephen and older daughter Megan, 13, was told the nearest testing stations were in Kensington (57 miles away) and Peterborough (70).

Not wanting to travel to London, she tried to book an appointment in the latter.

However, she was unable to book one - despite being told there were slots available on the NHS website.

Unable to get a home kit, a colleague got in touch to say she had one the family could use.

Mrs Taylor, 48, said: "We just thought it was a formality.

"I didn't at any point contemplate a positive result.

"However, that was the news we got by text message first thing on Saturday morning.

"It came as a real shock.

"We were due to have lunch with members of our family on that first Sunday.

"Instead we cancelled and thank goodness we did.

"Had we not have received the text last weekend, we would have done the same last Sunday.

"That's really scary as we could have passed the virus onto people like my parents."

No other family members have shown any symptoms and they are now isolating together until October 1.

Mrs Taylor says other parents should be cautious and make every attempt to get their youngsters tested, if they feel it is necessary.

"My message to other parents would be don't assume it's just a cold," she said.

"Even if you or your child is only showing one symptom, make every attempt to get tested.

"On the face of it, Maddie had a slight cough and a headache which shifted after one dose of Calpol.

"We didn't think it was anything to worry about.

"It was nothing out of the ordinary and we certainly weren't alarmed.

"Had it not been for the Covid situation, she would have gone back to school because she was absolutely fine in herself.

"There wasn't any sickness and she's full of beans."