Jean-Michel Blanquer in a school in Lavoncourt where saliva tests are deployed on March 1, 2021. -
AFP
The return to vacation of zone A, associated with the progression of the British variant, raises fears of an acceleration of the wave of coronavirus contaminations.
To break the chains of contamination, the Ministry of Education is deploying from this week a large campaign of saliva tests.
20 Minutes
explains which students will be affected and how this massive screening will take place.
Break the chains of contamination of the coronavirus in schools.
This is the challenge that the government has set itself, while the pupils of two zones (the A last week, the C this Monday) returned to class after the February vacation.
To do this, he is organizing a campaign of saliva tests this week.
A less invasive and less unpleasant sample on children than nasopharyngeal tests.
20 Minutes
takes stock of this large-scale initiative and the questions it poses.
Which students will be tested?
The government wants to deploy saliva tests as a priority in nursery and elementary schools.
They will be organized randomly and repeated at regular intervals in certain establishments to follow the evolution of new contaminations within an establishment.
Others will be carried out in areas where the virus circulates a lot, to break the chains of contamination as quickly as possible.
“The ARS and the rectorates will decide which establishments will be tested,” explains
Jean-Michel Blanquer's entourage
to
20 minutes
.
In a press release published on Monday, the Ile-de-France ARS explains for example that “the sampling of the selected establishments is carried out in coordination between the rectorates of Paris, Créteil and Versailles and the ARS of Ile-de -France, particularly targeting areas with high viral circulation, while ensuring good coverage of the regional territory ”.
An initiative hailed by the unions: “Precise data on contamination in schools was lacking.
Because for the moment, we only have figures which are based only on the declarations of the families.
However, not all of them say when their child has tested positive and many do not have it tested, ”underlines Stéphane Crochet, secretary general of Se-Unsa.
At what rate?
“This week, between 50,000 and 80,000 saliva tests should be done.
We are aiming for 140,000 the next one, with the objective of achieving 300,000 by the week of March 15, ”explains Jean-Michel Blanquer's entourage.
These figures leave the unions dubious.
“This pace may be difficult to keep up because it will require large human resources.
We can fear a certain delay, ”says Stéphane Crochet.
How will they be carried out?
Only the saliva will be collected by spitting in a bottle or, in the smallest, via a pipette under the tongue.
The laboratory which will analyze them will deliver the results within 24 or 48 hours to the parents and to the departmental medical advisers of National Education.
Variants will be systematically looked for on positive tests.
Parents should inform the school principal if their child's test is positive.
Otherwise, the establishment will only know the number of cases detected, but not who is sick.
“We can expect that a greater number of classes will close in the coming weeks,” predicts Stéphane Crochet.
By whom will they be made?
"Laboratory staff will be present during the first sampling operation", explains the Ministry of Education.
The 7,400 nurses from National Education, staff from regional agencies
health or private laboratories will also be involved.
But in recent days, a controversy has arisen.
“A note released last week in the Lyon academy suggested that teachers could be called upon to take the tests,” explains Stéphane Crochet.
"In certain departments, the teaching teams would be called upon after an express" training "delivered by a laboratory staff", also affirmed Friday the Snuipp-FSU in a press release.
A controversy extinguished on Monday by the Minister of Education during a trip to a school in Haute-Saône.
He said that these tests would be carried out by "health workers" and not by teachers.
"The rest of the National Education staff can be volunteers to help with the supervision of children or the administrative follow-up of what is happening," said Jean-Michel Blanquer.
“The teachers will be able to accompany the students during the recovery of the saliva to reassure them.
But they will not perform medical procedures, ”the ministry tells us.
Still, the concerns are not all raised.
"We do not know what will weigh on our shoulders, we are in the dark," worries Saphia Guereschi, general secretary of SNICS-FSU, the majority union of nurses of National Education.
Will these tests be compulsory?
No.
They will be carried out on a voluntary basis and parental authorization will be required to pass them.
“But they will surely generate broad support from families, especially in areas where the epidemic is already widespread,” said Stéphane Crochet.
For example, at the Lavoncourt school (Haute-Saône) where Jean-Michel Blanquer went on Monday, 90% of families volunteered for their child to be tested.
Saliva tests will they be deployed in colleges and high schools?
For the moment no.
It is the nasopharyngeal antigen tests that are carried out there.
"A million tests are offered there per month", explains the Ministry of Education.
But that doesn't mean they're done.
According to Snes-Fsu, in mid-February, only 200,000 such tests would have been carried out.
“Students and staff do not go to be tested if there is no infectious source in their establishment, because nasopharyngeal screening rejects them.
They should also be offered saliva tests, ”suggests Stéphane Crochet.
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