CDC finds coronavirus testing of exposed children in schools can safely replace quarantine

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Fri, 2021-12-17 11:49 — mike kraft

CDC finds coronavirus testing of exposed children in schools can safely replace quarantine Children exposed the virus needn't return to virtual learning if their schools can implement a rigorous testing regime instead. Laura Meckler Washington Post

Students who have been exposed to the coronavirus can safely continue in-person learning if they are regularly tested for the virus at school, avoiding disruptive at-home quarantines, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said Friday.

FAQ: What to know about the omicron variant of the coronavirus

The CDC released two studies that show the effectiveness of what’s known as “test-to-stay.” School districts across the country have tried this strategy, though it is not widely used.

“These studies demonstrate that test-to-stay works to keep unvaccinated children in school safely,” CDC Director Rochelle Walensky told reporters Friday. She called it “a promising and now proven practice.”

Typically, students who are deemed close contacts of someone who tests positive for the virus are sent home to quarantine, to make sure that people who may be carrying the virus, even without symptoms, do not infect others. The CDC studied test-to-stay alternative programs in Lake County, Ill., and Los Angeles County. ...

Walensky said CDC would update its materials to help schools and parents implement this approach.

She added that in both of the communities studied, students wore masks, and close contacts of the person who tested positive were monitored for symptoms and told to stay home if they became sick. Contacts who came back to school were regularly tested — at least twice over the seven days after exposure. ...

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