AT-HOME RAPID TESTING PROGRAM FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- Which rapid test will my child receive?
Students will receive iHealth test kits. iHealth is a 15-minute at-home FDA-approved rapid test.
- How often will my child test?
Weekly. Every two weeks, students will receive an iHealth at-home rapid test kit. Each kit contains two individual tests. Students will administer one test per week prior to attending school on Monday. (You may test Sunday evening or Monday morning.)
- How do I report the results of a positive test?
If your student tests positive on an at-home antigen test, you will inform the WPS Covid Monitoring and Response Team of the positive result using the COVID Reporting Form. The school will keep the results confidential and will not make individual results public. In addition, you should inform your healthcare provider of the positive result.
- Do I need to opt-in to receive at-home tests if I already provided consent for pool testing or Test and Stay?
Yes. The consent was specific to the state program and their testing vendor. The additional opt-in is required to begin receiving at home tests.
- Can my child participate in the at-home testing program even if they aren’t registered for pool testing or Test and Stay?
Yes.
- Can vaccinated students receive at-home tests?
Yes. Both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals can receive at-home tests.
- Can people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in the past 90 days participate in the at-home rapid testing program?
Yes.
- Should my child continue to participate in the weekly at-home rapid testing if they have recently tested positive?
For fourteen days after a positive result, students and staff should pause their participation in the rapid testing program. You are welcome to rejoin the program after that point.
- Can people in the home use the school-provided tests? Can my child use the tests for other reasons (prior to travel, etc.)?
No. The at-home tests are provided specifically for students to test prior to attending school.
- Why aren’t we continuing Test and Stay? Wasn’t it successful?
Test and Stay was a very effective tool for keeping students in school safely following COVID exposure, instead of quarantining at home. However, it was less effective at actually identifying positive cases and preventing spread. The data from Test and Stay, both locally and statewide, as well as from studies done in other areas of the country, found that the amount of transmission among in-school close contacts was very low. In Massachusetts, 98% of rapid tests of in-school close contacts in Test and Stay were negative. Our WPS data is similarly very low with less than .5% of our tests in Test and Stay returning a positive result. We know that the bulk of our positive cases are identified outside of school and are most likely due to transmission outside of school. The resources devoted to Test and Stay will be redirected to the at-home testing program, which is likely to be a more effective mitigation strategy.
- How do I administer the test?
Click here for a full “how to” written guide in various languages
Click here for a video of an individual self-testing