Pilot program that tested Pierce County schools for COVID-19 yields ‘promising’ results
A School Based Testing Pilot (SBTP) program that tested people at three Pierce County school districts for COVID-19 over the course of three weeks resulted in few positive cases.
White River, Peninsula and Eatonville school districts participated in the program, which was funded with $7.8 million of federal CARES Act dollars.
Out of nearly 10,000 administered tests, 0.2 percent registered positive for COVID-19, according to an end of year report.
The findings are “promising news” and support the transition to slowly reopen schools, according to Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department officials.
“Our pilot testing program gave us hope that we can bring students back for in-person learning while protecting health and safety and controlling community spread,” Tacoma-Pierce County Director of Health Anthony Chen said in a blog update. “The results give us confidence that the guidelines Department of Health set last month are valid. We will continue to work with all districts in the county as they safely bring students back to classrooms.”
So far, 11 of our 15 public school districts and one private school have reached out for assistance with testing, said TPCHD spokesperson Dale Phelps.
“We are working with all on helping provide test kits and getting them up and running with testing,” Phelps said in an email.
In December, the state Department of Health and Gov. Jay Inslee revised school reopening guidance by lowering the recommended COVID-19 case threshold to open for in-person learning. In counties with a case rate of more than 350 cases per 100,000 people over a 14-day period, schools are recommended to phase in in-person learning in groups of 15 or fewer students for pre-K through grade 5, in addition to students with the highest needs.
In Pierce County, school districts have started returning the youngest students to school. Tacoma Public Schools kindergarten students returned Jan. 19. Preschoolers will return Jan. 25, and first and second graders on Feb. 8.
The SBTP administered 9,827 rapid antigen tests to 4,064 students and staff across the three districts.
A total of 73 PCR tests also were conducted either because of a positive antigen test, the person was symptomatic, or they were identified as a close contact. Out of the 73 PCR tests, 20 were positive.
Antigen tests look for proteins in the virus and are less sensitive than PCR tests, which tests for the virus on a molecular level. PCR tests are generally more accurate.
People who tested positive were quarantined from others and then sent home to isolate.
The White River School District tested 1,824 individuals and found 11 positive antigen tests. Peninsula School District tested 1,969 individuals and found 13 positive antigen tests. Eatonville tested 271 individuals and found five positive antigen tests.
The SBTP also surveyed faculty, staff and parents about the testing and received more than 4,000 responses. A majority of respondents said the testing pilot did not change their existing beliefs about the risk of COVID-19 or reopening schools, citing concerns about low participation in the program. Respondents also said the testing process was quick and easy to access.
All three districts are continuing some version of testing.
Peninsula School District told Gateway reporter Chase Hutchinson last week that tests will be administered by trained staff and taken weekly and that unlike prior mass testing, the district will only test select “high-risk” students and staff.
Eatonville is offering PCR tests to staff and eligible students 16 and older to participate in weekly testing, according to TPCHD, and White River is testing secondary students using a rapid antigen test as part of its back-to-school event.
While Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department officials found the results promising, they encouraged schools to expand reopening efforts based on district needs.
“(The) Department of Health recommends reopening schools under the assumption transmission in classrooms is low. This assumption requires more analysis to fully assess in-school transmission,” the report stated.
