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COVID Diagnostic Testing Update

Good Afternoon and Happy Friday!

This afternoon the Ontario County Department of Health met with Ontario County school officials to share updated information specific to diagnostic testing of students exposed to COVID-19. I am reaching out this afternoon to relate these updates.

Ontario County DOH Fact Sheet Specific to Diagnostic Testing of COVID Exposed Students 
The information contained below in the Ontario County Fact Sheet supersedes any previous district or OCDOH communication specific to diagnostic testing. Thank you (again) in advance for your patience as HCS navigates this new health related facet in our work as an organization. This is a rapidly evolving, ever changing process for all of us!  

Testing Exposed Children for COVID-19 at School Revision #2, 10/29/2021.
(Changes are in red ink.) 
Synopsis: Testing Exposed Children during the School Day
Exposed children –except those exposed by a household member - who DO NOT have ANY symptoms  of COVID-19 (cough, headache, fever, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, loss of taste/smell, significant nasal  discharge, sore throat, excessive fatigue) may remain in school if they test negative for COVID-19  during the school day and if masking is strictly enforced. Children with mild “sniffles” in the morning  on a school day, may present to school for testing.  

Process:
Schools will test exposed children daily by rapid Polymerase Chain Reaction (pcr) through  day seven.  If a school can’t accommodate rapid pcr testing and is considering use of rapid antigen testing  (BinaxNOW cards), the school administrator will seek input from the Public Health Director.  The school administrator must be aware of the following:
o Antigen tests are less sensitive than pcr tests and are more likely to give false negative  results, particularly in people without symptoms.  
o When antigen tests are used, the school should consider additional strategies to  ensure excellent masking and distancing in class, on the bus, in PE, at lunch, and at  recess.  
o The Public Health Director may curtail the use of antigen testing if clusters or outbreaks develop.
Children may remain in school and participate in extracurricular activities Mon-Fri if they  test negative.
  • If on day seven, children are without symptoms and remain negative for COVID-19, they need  no further testing and may resume all usual activities.
  • If there is a lag in beginning daily testing, children need at least 2 negative tests, 24-hours  apart, to be released from quarantine (days 6-7, 7-8, 8-9). These should be pcr tests. If the  final day falls on a weekend or holiday, test the child for the last time, on the first day back to  school.
Common Questions about this New Process 
Why can exposed children now remain in school?
  • Keeping children in the classroom is a priority for you, your child, your child’s school, and Ontario  County Public Health. After much thought and discussion, health department leadership believes it is  reasonable for exposed students to be tested daily and kept in school if they are negative for COVID 19. In the unlikely event of a false negative, strict adherence to masking decreases the likelihood of  spread during the school day. Children exposed at home by a COVID-positive household member may not attend school during quarantine due to the high risk of transmission among household contacts.
Can ALL exposed students stay in school?
Exposed students may attend school when ALL the following criteria are met.
1. Their exposure did not occur in their home
2. They have no symptoms
3. Their school has enough staff and test kits to do daily testing
4. Their parent or guardian has given the school permission to test their child  
5. They test negative every day

Note: There are no additional revisions to the original OCDOH Fact Sheet attached. The above reflects the totality of changes. Please feel free to reach out to our school nurse, Marybeth Tonkery, or the Ontario County DOH with any questions about this information.

On behalf of the Honeoye Central School District, thank you for your ongoing support and partnership in advocacy for all HCS students. There is no place like Honeoye...  As always, please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns about the information included in this communication, or otherwise.

Warmest regards,
E. Bridget Ashton

Elizabeth Bridget Ashton
Superintendent, Honeoye Central School District
8528 Main Street
Honeoye, New York 14471
[email protected]
On Twitter: @EBridgetAshton

Attached Files