Have you sign-up for weekly asymptomatic testing at APS

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out whether we should sign up our somewhat sensitive, vaccinated tween for this testing. I am in favor of it generally, but there isn't much info on the APS website about it. Does anyone know:

1. Is this a painful test? Someone earlier said it was the invasive nasal one and someone else said it wasn't. I just administered myself one of the Biovax Antigen tests a few days ago when I had the sniffles (negative) and found it a little painful but I might have poked the swab further up my nose than I needed to. Was it like that and will it hurt? I don't want to sign my kid up for weekly pain.

2. If we sign up, will my kid get the test every week or just when randomly picked?

3. If my kid tests positive and was vaccinated, is this the "pull them out of school for 8 days and quarantine at home" situation? What if it was a false positive? I think the false positive rate for these Biovax antigen tests is only like 3% or similar.

Anyone who knows any of this, I would really appreciate the info!

Good questions to ask APS.

[Anonymous]

When exactly will kids be tested? Are they pulled out of class?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out whether we should sign up our somewhat sensitive, vaccinated tween for this testing. I am in favor of it generally, but there isn't much info on the APS website about it. Does anyone know:

1. Is this a painful test? Someone earlier said it was the invasive nasal one and someone else said it wasn't. I just administered myself one of the Biovax Antigen tests a few days ago when I had the sniffles (negative) and found it a little painful but I might have poked the swab further up my nose than I needed to. Was it like that and will it hurt? I don't want to sign my kid up for weekly pain.

2. If we sign up, will my kid get the test every week or just when randomly picked?

3. If my kid tests positive and was vaccinated, is this the "pull them out of school for 8 days and quarantine at home" situation? What if it was a false positive? I think the false positive rate for these Biovax antigen tests is only like 3% or similar.

Anyone who knows any of this, I would really appreciate the info!

Good questions to ask APS.

These are good questions. Why are they asking for insurance information? Will they be trying to cover any costs, administrative or otherwise from insurers?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I am trying to figure out whether we should sign up our somewhat sensitive, vaccinated tween for this testing. I am in favor of it generally, but there isn't much info on the APS website about it. Does anyone know:

1. Is this a painful test? Someone earlier said it was the invasive nasal one and someone else said it wasn't. I just administered myself one of the Biovax Antigen tests a few days ago when I had the sniffles (negative) and found it a little painful but I might have poked the swab further up my nose than I needed to. Was it like that and will it hurt? I don't want to sign my kid up for weekly pain.

2. If we sign up, will my kid get the test every week or just when randomly picked?

3. If my kid tests positive and was vaccinated, is this the "pull them out of school for 8 days and quarantine at home" situation? What if it was a false positive? I think the false positive rate for these Biovax antigen tests is only like 3% or similar.

Anyone who knows any of this, I would really appreciate the info!

Good questions to ask APS.

These are good questions. Why are they asking for insurance information? Will they be trying to cover any costs, administrative or otherwise from insurers?

Private insurance is required to cover it, my guess is that APS picks up the cost of what isn't covered by private insurance. Similar to when you went and got vaccinated and they asked for your insurance info

[Anonymous]

I'm the PP who had all these questions but I signed my kid up anyway. Kid wanted the testing and wanted to try to keep the school as safe as possible, so okay.

[Anonymous]

The testing is free. It is the mid-nasal swab test, so not invasive and does not hurt. My kids have both done them and even the one who is very swab averse has been just fine. Screening testing is important to catch and prevent asymptomatic spread. Kids can catch and spread COVID to other kids who may be medically sensitive, to older adults whose vaccine effectiveness is wearing off, and to adults who are not protected by the vaccines because they are immunocompromised. You can't ignore a virus that has basically wiped out a mid-size American city because you are worried about your kid missing school. This isn't strep throat - everyone should sign up and get their kids tested if you want schools to remain open and the virus to someday be contained.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm the PP who had all these questions but I signed my kid up anyway. Kid wanted the testing and wanted to try to keep the school as safe as possible, so okay.

I did too... did you get an email confirmation? I did not and signed up two kids.

[Anonymous]

I signed my kids up. I have not received email confirmation. Are we supposed to?

[Anonymous]

I also signed up but did not receive email confirmation. Man that sign up was no joke -- you will need, besides the usual, a pic of your insurance card (front/back), pic of your kid's vaccination card (if has one), and your kid's APS ID number.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I also signed up but did not receive email confirmation. Man that sign up was no joke -- you will need, besides the usual, a pic of your insurance card (front/back), pic of your kid's vaccination card (if has one), and your kid's APS ID number.

Right!? I didn't enter any insurance info and it let me submit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We are not signing our kids up because of the risk of them missing school due to a false positive. I may reevaluate if the overall infection rate in Arlington increases dramatically. But we will test at any sign of illness.

Why are you worried about false positives? There is an extremely low risk of false positives.

Dp. Saying That repeatedly doesn’t make it true. I personally know multiple people with false positives. Note that fccps is not doing this bc of disruptive false positives over the summer

If you get a positive, they will re-test and then call the parent to take the kid for a PCR test. If the PCR is negative, you miss 1 day.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Shouldn’t be a choice. APS should require it.

This. Or at least make it opt-out. My main hesitation in signing up my kid is that she'll be pulled from instruction to go take a test when no one else is testing. If they are testing the whole class (or most of the class) that'd be fine. But since they've made it opt-in I have no idea how often or when they'll do these tests. I don't want her pulled out regularly for this. I can test her at home if needed. Also don't really like the false positives on asymptomatic cases (I had this happen to me, so yes I know it's possible).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When exactly will kids be tested? Are they pulled out of class?

This is my main question. I have a 2nd grader.

How often will it be and when will it occur during the day?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The testing is free. It is the mid-nasal swab test, so not invasive and does not hurt. My kids have both done them and even the one who is very swab averse has been just fine. Screening testing is important to catch and prevent asymptomatic spread. Kids can catch and spread COVID to other kids who may be medically sensitive, to older adults whose vaccine effectiveness is wearing off, and to adults who are not protected by the vaccines because they are immunocompromised. You can't ignore a virus that has basically wiped out a mid-size American city because you are worried about your kid missing school. This isn't strep throat - everyone should sign up and get their kids tested if you want schools to remain open and the virus to someday be contained.

OK, yes, sign up, but I'm skeptical that signing up for this will lead to the virus being contained. It's a global virus.

[Anonymous]

It's the next Arlington parents' battleground folks!