VANCOUVER -- All Surrey elementary and secondary students have access to COVID-19 gargle tests, says Fraser Health.
It’s a joint initiative involving Fraser Health, BC Children’s Hospital and the Surrey School District to ensure students who exhibit symptoms at school, have quick access to COVID-19 testing, the three organizations said in a news release.
BC Children’s medical microbiologist Dr. David Goldfarb says providing schools with collection sample kits that kids can take home can help make testing children for COVID-19 more feasible for families.
“The Fraser Health Authority is home to 42 per cent of children in the province and children can have diverse needs, so being able to collect the sample in a familiar place can greatly reduce stress for them” says Goldfarb in the release.
Each school has been given 12 kits that can be used by students experiencing the following symptoms.
- Fever
- Chills
- Cough or worsening of chronic cough
- Difficulty breathing
- Loss of sense of smell or tasts
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and Vomiting
Results for the tests will be available within 24 to 48 hours and received through the same process as samples collected at local COVID-19 test collection centres. Parents are advised to keep their kids at home while awaiting test results.
“This has been an unprecedented year, and the health and safety of our school communities has always been at the forefront of our work,” says Laurie Larsen, chair of the Surrey Board of Education, in the release.
Fraser Health is also advising parents and guardians living in the health region to monitor their kids for COVID-19-like symptoms before sending them to school each day.
