COVID-19 Testing: The True MVP of Back-to-School Safety for 2021-2022 School Year

Another Labor Day has passed and that means almost all students across the country have begun a new academic year. Even though nearly every school system welcomed students and staff back in more traditional face-to-face environments, the COVID-19 pandemic just won’t go away. While the availability of vaccinations reduced the spread dramatically early in the year the Delta variant has emerged as a potent enemy. Not only does it spread at a faster rate, but it is impacting more adolescents. The American Association of Pediatrics (AAP) reported the following on August 12, 2021:

• The percentage of total child cases rose?from?2% in April 2020 to 14.4% this week?(p.6)
• 10 states reported?18% or more cumulative cases were children?(p.16)

A glimpse into states who opened schools weeks ago offers some insight into what we are up against. For example in Mississippi, the Sun Herald recently reported there are more than 20,000 students statewide who are under quarantine, prompting the Mississippi State Department of Health to reiterate the importance of preventative COVID measures, including opting into weekly onsite testing of students, staff, and teachers, universal mask-wearing in schools, and social distancing of at least 3 feet in classrooms and 6 feet outside the classroom. In Indiana, new records have been set weekly for new COVID cases as reported by WFYI.

There’s no denying that keeping kids in school is critical to their well-being on so many different levels. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, “schools provide more than just academics to children and adolescents. In addition to reading, writing, and math, students learn social and emotional skills, get exercise, and have access to mental health and other support services. For many families, schools are where kids get healthy meals, access to the internet, and other vital services… The pandemic has been especially hard for children with disabilities, children living in poverty, and children who are Black, Hispanic/Latino, and American Indian/Alaska Native.”

These case numbers amongst adolescents paint a challenging picture, but there is more to this story. As someone who works in schools on a weekly basis, I have seen firsthand the impact that COVID-19 and the Delta variant are having on teachers and other school staff. School administrators and nurses are spending countless hours on contact tracing, notifying families, and then arranging for testing after school hours. While contact tracing is occurring, the chances that infected students come in contact with their peers and potentially spread the virus to them increases.

I am also a parent and see another challenge through that lens. If my kids show symptoms or come into contact with a COVID-positive student, they need to be tested. Both my wife and I work. While this isn’t unusual, my travel presents an additional hurdle to getting our kids to a testing facility.?A proactive approach and solution could come in the form of regular in-school testing, whether students have symptoms or not. Limiting the spread once students are identified through testing can happen immediately. Not only does this protect students, but also school staff. It takes the burden off the families as there is no need to take a child to get tested. The solution provides peace of mind and expediency. This could be a win-win for all.

Testing programs, like the ReadyCheckGo? program from Thermo Fisher Scientific, offer schools coronavirus testing solutions to help them stave off infections while limiting the burden for families. This particular solution involves a simple, gentle swab by the student, and provides schools with quick and accurate results. Self-administering testing helps limit the contact with staff, however, on-site support options are available to also help ease the strain on schools and staff. For parents who are curious about COVID testing within schools, I encourage you to start the conversation with your child’s school board and/or administrators.

When it is all said and done the safety of everyone in a school is a priority. Keeping kids in school for face-to-face learning is also crucial as COVID-19 has had a dramatic impact on their mental, physical, and emotional health as well as academic achievement. In time this too shall pass. However, in the interim, regular in-school COVID testing helps us gain back some normalcy.

Interested in learning more about in-school COVID-19 testing, or how to begin the conversation with your child’s school? Visit the Thermo Fisher Parent Portal for resources and more: https://bit.ly/3BAuz5o

Other Resources:

• Safe Schools During COVID-19 Pandemic
• CDC: Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in K-12 Schools and Early Care and Education Programs