Peninsula Schools begin rapid COVID-19 testing and find two cases the first week
A pilot rapid testing program for COVID-19 began in Peninsula Schools last week and promptly found two positive cases.
According to the district, one positive case was at Voyager Elementary School on Tuesday, Dec. 1. That person was isolated following the positive result to await the results of a more extensive test. The second was a positive test at Discovery Elementary School on Friday, Dec. 4.
The district now lists 16 positive cases on its “COVID-19 Dashboard.”
Due to federal privacy laws, the district could not disclose whether the persons who tested positive were staff or students.
The three-week pilot program is a joint effort of the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, the Peninsula School District, and three other small or rural districts in the county. If it is successful, district officials hope it will lead to the return of more children to in-person learning.
Over 900 students and staff were tested in the first week, the district said in an email to parents.
The test, called a protein-antigen test, is administered by nose swab and can provide results in 15 minutes. Tests were administered this week to staff and students at all nine elementary schools, one middle school and both high schools in the Peninsula district.
“By doing that, we possibly saved other students or other staff members from being infected,” said John Hellwich, a district assistant superintendent, during a Gateway visit to Gig Harbor High School on Thursday, Dec. 3.
The rapid tests may not catch everything, he acknowledged, but they’ll help.
“The key is to prevent spread,” Hellwich said. “If everyone is following our countermeasures and we’re doing the testing, we believe it’s as safe to be on campus as anywhere else.”
Hellwich acknowledged there have been some cases in schools since Kindergartners and first-graders began returning to class in October.
“There has been minimal,” Hellwich said. “On our dashboard, three of those individuals who tested positive we believe contracted it at our school.” A fourth case was later listed.
Faster of two tests
Currently there are two types of diagnostic tests: molecular tests, called PCR, or polymerase chain reaction tests, that detect the virus’s genetic material, and antigen tests that detect specific proteins from the virus.
Rapid antigen testing often isn’t as accurate as lab-based PCR tests, though they do provide results in as little as fifteen minutes. In a telebriefing on Wednesday, Dr. Charissa Fotinos of the Washington State Coronavirus Response Joint Information Center said even less accurate tests can help if done frequently.
“What we’re starting to understand is that, even if a test isn’t perfect ... if you repeat a test that has moderate sensitivity at an ... appropriate interval, then you’re likely to catch infection early on and limit the spread within that setting that you’re testing,” Fotinos said. “Serial testing in a congregate setting, which would include schools, is a reasonable strategy even if you’re using the antigen test.”
Fotinos added that schools need also to take additional measures like mask-wearing, sanitation and distancing.
At Gig Harbor High School on Dec. 4, Principal Michele Suiter said she hopes to have full participation from both staff and students.
“If you have students on campus and you have staff on campus, you want 100 percent participation,” Suiter said. “You want to be able to get your numbers right.”
Most instruction for high school students is still taking place remotely, but the plan is for such a program to allow for the return of students across all grades. Second-graders were to have returned Nov. 30, but the callback was canceled because of an alarming increase in cases in Pierce County.
Dots on the floor
In the Gig Harbor High gym last Friday, dots on the floor designated the distance people should remain apart as faculty, staff and some students, predominantly special education students, went through the testing process.
Besides some nerves, tests were largely discomfort-free and faculty went through with little challenge. One person did grab at their heart in mock pain following his test, a brief moment of levity.
At this location, 118 students were tested.
“I would love to get all of our students back,” Suiter said. “I also want to respect that there are some people who don’t feel right about having their kids on campus.”
Suiter, who had never had a test herself, underwent theprocess for the first time Friday and got a nasal swab. All the tests were administered by TPCHD staff.
LaRhonda Osborn, school site lead for TPCHD,said her job is to make sure “everything runs efficiently.”
“We have a flow,” she said. “When they come in, they go to registration, they get registered. Then we send them to a swabber who will swab their nose,” Osborn said. “We have a processor who reads the test in exactly 15 minutes and records the positive or negative results.”
In the event that someone tests positive, they are isolated in a quarantine room while they await a longer PCR test.
Osborn has been at severalschools throughout the week providing the same services.
“Everybody wants to get tested, everybody wants to know if they’re positive or not,” Osborn said. “There is a chance that you don’t have any symptoms and you could have covid.”
Program could end
Dr. Anthony Chen of TPCHD had previously acknowledged in a virtual discussion with parents and staff that there was no guaranteethe program would continue beyond this initial pilot due to depleted CARES Act funding.
The district is aware of that, Hellwich said, but can’t control it.
“It’s probably going to take federal action to continue the CARES money package,” Hellwich said. “Hopefully the county can secure another grant and we can keep going.”
In an email to parents sent Sunday, Dec. 6, the district said there is still time for students and staff to take part in the testing pilot, which continues through Dec. 18. A schedule and testing locations are listed at psd401.net/schoolreopening#fs-panel-24003
Hellwich said the district remains ready, program or not, to continue operating in person.
“We’re going to continue to run students in person as long as we can. Every countermeasure that we can put in place to help keep our students and staff safe, we’re interested in,” Hellwich said. “We believe this is not an answer all by itself.”
Reach Chase Hutchinson at chase.hutchinson@thenewstribune.com
This story was originally published December 7, 2020 at 5:30 AM.
