Addition of Rapid Testing Tools Will Help Keep More Kids in School
Vermont Business Magazine The State of Vermont today distributed resources and information to all Vermont public and independent schools to enable them to establish COVID-19 response testing in every school across Vermont. The state is bolstering existing testing tools with rapid testing to help keep more kids in school.
The program, a joint effort of the Agency of Education, Department of Health and a range of other state government and public health partners, will provide schools with a robust tool set to respond to cases in their learning community. These resources are provided free of charge to Vermont schools.
“We all know how important it is to keep kids in school – doing so is a public health imperative,” said Governor Scott. “But what we have seen so far is that many students have had to quarantine after a possible exposure and then don’t ever become a case. This is valuable classroom time that is lost for the student, and challenging for parents and schools to manage. By adding these additional tools to the toolbox, we can minimize disruptions, more quickly identify cases, and above all, keep our kids in school, so they can get the education and opportunities for social interaction they deserve.”
Using a combination of PCR and rapid antigen tests, response testing allows schools to greatly reduce the time students might otherwise have to spend out of the classroom due to cases at their school. Students who are close contacts of a classmate or teacher who tests positive for COVID-19 will be able to test out of quarantine more easily and continue attending school while in quarantine as long as they have no symptoms.
“Response testing is a critical tool for Vermont schools as they work to keep students learning, and a key part of our efforts to support Vermont’s hard-working school staff and educators,” said Secretary of Education Dan French. “Right now, the most important thing we can for students’ long-term success is to keep them in the classroom as much as possible. Together with the current surveillance testing program, these new tools will help make sure that students are present, learning and engaged in the other essential pursuits that Vermont education provides.”
“When combined with surveillance testing, response testing provides a full range of tools to Vermont schools, allowing them to quickly respond to cases, and keep students at school, engaged and learning," said Agency of Human Services Secretary, Mike Smith.
The COVID-19 response testing program consists of three complementary testing tools, each used for different scenarios, giving schools flexibility to respond directly to specific cases in their learning community:
- Test to Stay ─ allows unvaccinated students who are close contacts of a positive COVID-19 case to take a daily antigen test at the beginning of the school day, rather than remaining at home. Students who test negative go to class and in-school extracurricular activities as normal, as long as they have no symptoms. Students test until seven days have passed since they were last exposed to the case. This program is modeled after successful programs in Massachusetts and Utah and has been supported by Vermont’s pediatric community and infectious disease experts at the University of Vermont.
- PCR Response Testing ─ allows schools to conduct a wide range of PCR testing in response to case(s) in their learning community. This includes testing unvaccinated close contacts out of quarantine, testing vaccinated close contacts three (3) to five (5) days after exposure, and testing symptomatic students who test negative with an antigen test. Schools administer the testing on site.
- Take Home PCR Testing ─ allows schools to distribute kits to students, staff and family members who need a test. Families can follow simple instructions to register the kit using a smartphone or web browser, collect the sample, and either send back to the lab themselves with a pre-paid shipping label, or return to the school for shipping. These kits are intended for students quarantining at home, family members of COVID-19 positive students, or anyone in the learning community who needs a test.
Families will hear directly from their school about testing programs in their community. Schools will receive additional resources and information next week.
Vermont pediatricians support 'Test to Stay Program' to keep children in school
Vermont’s pediatricians support a "Test to Stay" (TTS) program for asymptomatic, unvaccinated children exposed to COVID-19 at school. Vermont pediatricians and pediatric infectious diseases specialists are collaborating with state agencies in the design and implementation of TTS based on the program currently in place in Massachusetts.
The Delta variant has led to an ongoing surge of COVID-19 cases throughout Vermont, resulting in more cases in Vermont’s K-12 schools. Unvaccinated close contacts of COVID-19 infected staff and students are required to quarantine at home, leading to significant missed school days for children and even some school closures in Vermont.
Test to Stay programs provide unvaccinated, asymptomatic children who are a close contact of a COVID-19 case due to in-school exposure an option to undergo daily rapid antigen testing for 7 days following exposure. Students may attend school each day following a negative test result, but otherwise must quarantine at home during the testing period.
All participating students must also wear masks while in school.
Symptomatic students cannot participate in TTS and should instead follow current guidance for return to school following illness.
Test to Stay programs are only implemented for school-based exposures, as transmission of SARS-CoV-2 is less likely in this setting than other community environments. If a K-12 student is a close contact due to an exposure outside of the school setting, they must follow current guidance and quarantine at home.
The Vermont data shows that mitigation strategies employed by schools are effective in reducing the risk of COVID-19 transmission in the school environment. A recently published randomized controlled trial in the U.K. demonstrated that schools using a TTS strategy had as little school transmission as schools quarantining students after in school exposure.
Planning and implementing a TTS program is complex at both the state and local level. AAPVT will continue to work closely with state agencies, school nurses and school leaders to develop solutions that will allow students to attend school safely while minimizing transmission of COVID-19.
Information can be found on the Agency of Education’s COVID-19 Testing Family Resources webpage and COVID-19 Response Testing At-A-Glance.
For COVID-19 vaccination, testing and other information, visit Healthvermont.gov/covid-19.
Source: Governor Scott. Montpelier, Vt. – 10.1.2021