School, hypothesis of sample salivary tests: the parents will do them

Salivary test randomly on about 110 thousand pupils: the Higher Institute of Health, as reported Republic, is working on the possibility of introducing them in schools for children from 6 to 14 years (4.2 million elementary and middle school students).

It could be an effective strategy to control the circulation of the virus when, from September, activities resume e a rise in the contagion curve is expected with the entrance to school. Precisely to monitor new cases (especially asymptomatic ones), the Higher Institute of Health is writing a protocol together with the Regions.

The sentinel schools will be chosen by the local administrations, which will select from one to three for each province. Participation will be voluntary. Salivary sampling is less invasive than nasal swabs (if those were proposed, the adhesion would probably be lower), but also easier to perform and more manageable.

The material will be provided directly by the commissioner structure led by General Francesco Figliuolo: if in the first two months, those of experimentation, the saliva samples will be taken directly at the school, with the ASL staff, in the subsequent phases, since the procedure is simple, parents will be asked to personally take the saliva sample of the son, immediately after his awakening. The sample must then be taken to school, then sent to the ASL laboratories. In case of positivity, the student will undergo a confirmation exam, then, eventually, the ordinary isolation and contact search procedure will start.

The plan provides for checks throughout the school year, regularly changing the institutions involved. The goal is to identify asymptomatic positives and to secure pupils and their frail family members.

The hypothesis of subjecting a sample of teachers to salivary screening was also evaluated, but perhaps the obligation of the Green Pass could make this type of control superfluous.