Many parents have experienced it since the start of the school year: the hassle of testing when their children are declared contact cases. The hassle of pharmacy appointments, queues in drive-thru, stock-outs on self-tests. In La Rochelle, the private establishment Fénelon-Notre-Dame has decided to relieve families, by organizing screenings for its 2,700 students, from kindergarten to BTS. As well as for its 360 staff, teachers and administrators. Organization in place since January 11.
On average, a hundred tests are carried out every day, on three time slots: morning, noon and evening. It is a large organization for the establishment which has recruited two temporary workers to manage the covid cases. They are in addition to the two school nurses, responsible for taking the samples: antigenic, PCR or saliva tests, depending on the case.
It is the auditorium of the school which has been requisitioned, transformed into a screening center. Sitting in an armchair, 10-year-old Adriano waits for the result of his antigen test. Declared contact case in the morning, tested at noonfor the happiness of his dad David: “It’s super convenient. I took on my lunch break. We do it in two minutes, and no need to gallop in the car to find a screening place.”
As soon as there is contact, immediately tested
The result is exactly: “negative” says the nurse. Adriano is delighted: “I will be able to continue having fun with my friends. And then I will be able to stay in class, because working at home is much more difficult.” A little earlier, Tom, also in CM2, was entitled to his test. He arrived with mild symptoms : “a bit of a headache…” A few minutes later, he was confirmed positive.
Nurse Christina Velasquez will immediately be able to prevent Covid celltwo temporary staff who assist the nurses in drawing up the list of contact cases in the classes, to notify the families in the process. “It’s responsiveness, and it’s important” rejoices Christina. For Tom’s mother, Christelle, it’s less encouraging: “that means home, homework, not going out…”
– Julien Fleury
The director of the primary, Marie Chiarelli, is reassuring: “The mistresses are wonderful, and they will send you your work!” It was she, Marie Chiarelli, who had the idea for this screening. Without suspecting thehuge organizational work who was waiting for him: “checking that school nurses could carry out the tests, establishing a partnership with a laboratory… This is not our core business!”
Saliva tests for the little ones
When the government dropped the ballast on the self-tests, sufficient to return to class, the director said to herself that all this energy had been for nothing “No, the parents find it very useful! And it helps to strengthen the bond with the families.” Not useless when you are a private establishment, which must retain families. Even if the investment greatly exceeds the publicity stunt.
And then, it is also the occasion to propose saliva tests for toddlersmany of whom are traumatized by the swab: “it’s a great luxury, it allows you to avoid chasing your child with a self-test throughout the house” smiles Marie Chiavelli, also a mother.
Professors and administrative staff also have access to it. Like the CPE Valérie Morisset who sees many positive students passing through her office: “Knowing that you can get tested at the end of the week, being able to go home knowing that you are not sick, gives a lot of hope on Monday morning!” And a lot of energy to deal with all the hardships linked to the epidemic.
This screening center must remain in place until February vacation. Hoping that then the bulk of the Omicron wave has passed.