FAQ on COVID-19 Testing Options

Pooled testing for SARS-CoV-2 is when several people’s specimens are run in one batch, saving time and resources. It is an efficient, precise, and cost-effective way to detect SARS-CoV-2 in a school or class. If a pooled test result is negative, then all the people in the batch are negative. If the result of the pool is positive, a follow up individual test is conducted for those in the positive pool to identify the positive individual(s) in the pool. Both samples are collected at same time.

The pooled tests are PCR tests which are considered the gold standard for detection of COVID-19 and operate under an EUA from the FDA.

Vendor labs comply with Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) regulations. For more information, see the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Service’s (CMS’s) summary of the CLIA regulations.

We are currently planning to conduct pooled testing once a week on Thursdays, which will allow us to get testing results back before the weekend. If Thursdays end up not being the best day, we will work with CIC to identify a better day.

We are hoping to conduct pooled testing as early in the day as possible to get our results back as quickly as possible, but we want to make sure that the testing process does not interfere with teaching and learning. We will work closely with principals to identify the best times to conduct testing at each school site.

We are hoping to begin as early as Thursday, September 2nd, but that will depend on our ability to work through all of the logistics with CIC Health. A more likely start date is Thursday, September 9th. We will continue to keep families informed about the final start date.

We hope to get to a point this year where regular testing may no longer be necessary, but we are planning to conduct the testing for the foreseeable future, and potentially for the entire school year.

The collection method for Pooled, Test and Stay and Symptomatic testing is a shallow, frontal nasal swab, inserted no more than 1-2 cm into each nostril and rotated. Students and adults can self-administer the sample under supervision of trained staff with medical grade PPE.

During Pooled testing, two samples will be collected, one for the pooled test and a second maintained as an individual sample in case of inclusion in a positive pool.

No. Since an individual case(s) is identified immediately after a positive pool, all within a 24 hour timeframe, there is no benefit to creating vaccinated only pools.

There is no cost to families or to the district. All of the costs are covered through state and federal funding.

Read about the possible results HERE.

When pool results are negative (which was the very large majority of cases for pooled testing last school year), families and staff do not hear back individual results. Instead, a general email is sent out to the district. If a pooled test result is negative, then all the samples can be presumed negative with the single test.

In cases where a pool comes back positive, CIC will conduct follow-up testing using the individual samples they have already collected. Results for the pooled and individual tests are expected to be available in 24 hours. Families and staff will be contacted at the phone number and/or email provided on the consent form.

Wayland Health Department will be notified of positive cases and follow the established protocols.

Filling out the consent form means that you definitely want your child to participate in pooled testing, but also provides consent for your child to participate in “test and stay” and symptomatic testing. We will not, however, conduct either “test and stay” or symptomatic testing with your child without checking with you first.

No, the test is limited to K-12 students and staff only.

No, participation is voluntary, but strongly encouraged. Greater participation increases the effectiveness of testing as a safety measure.

Individuals who have tested positive for COVID-19 within the last 90 days may not participate in pooled testing.

Individuals who have received the COVID-19 vaccine may still participate in pooled testing.

No one is enrolled currently as you must complete the new enroll, consent and pay steps. After this point, if you wish to withdraw, please email covid-19_testing@waylandps.org