Change in Covid testing protocols?

[Anonymous]

It seems like a bit of whiplash that we went from the return from winter break testing everyone before return to now our school will no longer test vaccinated kids.

Did I miss a briefing on how we jumped from hyper vigilance two weeks ago to now, when we are doing less than we were before winter break?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like a bit of whiplash that we went from the return from winter break testing everyone before return to now our school will no longer test vaccinated kids.

Did I miss a briefing on how we jumped from hyper vigilance two weeks ago to now, when we are doing less than we were before winter break?

They should also offer antibody testing. If non-vaccinated students can demonstrate high titers no reason to treat them differently from vaccinated students.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It seems like a bit of whiplash that we went from the return from winter break testing everyone before return to now our school will no longer test vaccinated kids.

Did I miss a briefing on how we jumped from hyper vigilance two weeks ago to now, when we are doing less than we were before winter break?

Did you miss the fact that covid levels in our community are down by 85% from the peak?

[Anonymous]

I am curious about why schools are targeted as the place where so much testing occurs. My children are tested every week. The company charges my insurance $300 every week. The school, until omicron had practically zero cases. It also seems like from school updates, more cases are caught at home than using the asymptomatic testing. I think this is a pretty high cost to test a population that is not at high risk as compared to other populations, like even the adults in my workplace.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am curious about why schools are targeted as the place where so much testing occurs. My children are tested every week. The company charges my insurance $300 every week. The school, until omicron had practically zero cases. It also seems like from school updates, more cases are caught at home than using the asymptomatic testing. I think this is a pretty high cost to test a population that is not at high risk as compared to other populations, like even the adults in my workplace.

+1 It’s all a business! The insurance cos, the PCR makers, the drug manufactures, the stock holders, the wall st traders, the shareholders. They are all laughing all the way to the bank while we cry ourselves to sleep in despair.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am curious about why schools are targeted as the place where so much testing occurs. My children are tested every week. The company charges my insurance $300 every week. The school, until omicron had practically zero cases. It also seems like from school updates, more cases are caught at home than using the asymptomatic testing. I think this is a pretty high cost to test a population that is not at high risk as compared to other populations, like even the adults in my workplace.

+1 It’s all a business! The insurance cos, the PCR makers, the drug manufactures, the stock holders, the wall st traders, the shareholders. They are all laughing all the way to the bank while we cry ourselves to sleep in despair.

Exactly. As listed above, many people are making a shit-ton of money off of this. Nothing, including all of these tests, masks and vaccinations, is "free."

[Anonymous]

I would love our school to drop testing. Can you share what schools have dropped it thus far?

[Anonymous]

Our k-8 school was one of the few that wasn’t doing regular testing. I didn’t mind as I wasn’t sure the cost-benefit was worthwhile. They brought in weekly testing for all students and staff after the holidays due to the Omicron surge but are phasing it out. I’m okay with that. I think there are plenty of opportunities to test when needed outside of school.

[Anonymous]

We need to drop surveillance testing. It’s too expensive and not worth it.

[Anonymous]

What county are you in? We’re in Fairfax and apparently the health department this week told a meeting of private school principals they were dropping contact tracing and moving to treating Covid as an “endemic” illness.

[Anonymous]

I don’t understand the cries to drop testing. Measurement is the LAST thing that should be dropped, even after masks, quarantines etc. Otherwise, how will we know how many cases and whether dropping protective measures remains warranted? I want an off-ramp to normalcy too, and I’m optimistic we can drop masks by late spring if we can get more people boosted, but testing seems more the least intrusive and most informative step we take.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the cries to drop testing. Measurement is the LAST thing that should be dropped, even after masks, quarantines etc. Otherwise, how will we know how many cases and whether dropping protective measures remains warranted? I want an off-ramp to normalcy too, and I’m optimistic we can drop masks by late spring if we can get more people boosted, but testing seems more the least intrusive and most informative step we take.

No you don’t. You want zero risk and complete guarantee of “safety.” That is never going to happen and this testing madness is an expensive way to pretend that we have control over the spread. Agree with the others; it’s time to drop this pretense.

[Anonymous]

Burgundy Farm has dropped testing

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I don’t understand the cries to drop testing. Measurement is the LAST thing that should be dropped, even after masks, quarantines etc. Otherwise, how will we know how many cases and whether dropping protective measures remains warranted? I want an off-ramp to normalcy too, and I’m optimistic we can drop masks by late spring if we can get more people boosted, but testing seems more the least intrusive and most informative step we take.

No you don’t. You want zero risk and complete guarantee of “safety.” That is never going to happen and this testing madness is an expensive way to pretend that we have control over the spread. Agree with the others; it’s time to drop this pretense.

No I don’t what? You don’t know what I want. I don’t expect zero risk. In fact I’m in favor of treating it as an endemic to be managed than something to be solved IF we have the data to support doing so. Testing provides that. You seem to want to take the head in sand approach and just live in a fantasy that may or may not reflect reality. Why are you afraid of testing. At our school if costs the parents and the school next to nothing in dollars. Most of the tests occur during breaks so don’t even require missed class time. Insurance pays for it. So what if the testing companies are making a buck. It’s valuable data to have. Our US had about 5% positive right after break but has dropped to about 1-2 cases per week the last couple weeks. I don’t think testing should go on forever, or needs to be universal. If the trend continues as it has been maybe they start going random around spring break and then phase it out after that. Why is this so bad?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:What county are you in? We’re in Fairfax and apparently the health department this week told a meeting of private school principals they were dropping contact tracing and moving to treating Covid as an “endemic” illness.

Oh my gosh I hope this is true!