Norwegian children and young people must be co-tested before school starts

All Norwegian children, from preschool age and all the way up to high school, must now test for covid-19 before returning to school.

The test requirement also applies to teachers.

- These are "quick tests" as we say, quick tests, antigen tests.

We believe that this can be a good and effective tool to prevent you from getting too much infection back in school, says Norway's director of infection control Frode Forland to Aktuellt.

"Good and efficient"

The quick tests have been sent out from the municipalities.

Students and teachers are encouraged to take the test at home and then report their results.

When it comes to the reliability of the antigen tests, Frode Forland answers that the point is that this should go quickly and that you still get a good assessment, especially if the person is in an infectious phase.

A positive test result must in turn be confirmed with a PCR test.

If it is also positive, you are asked for a seven-day home quarantine.

Children and young people must also go to school even if, for example, a parent or sibling falls ill.

In Sweden, the Swedish Public Health Agency's recommendation is the opposite, that asymptomatic children should stay at home if someone in the family receives covid-19.

Highlights guardians' responsibilities

Like large parts of Europe, the number of covid patients is now increasing sharply around Sweden.

Johanna Jaara Åstrand, chairman of the Swedish Teachers' Association, also fears that the spread of infection will be high and the union therefore wants to see more students tested.

- It is not unreasonable that guardians and parents make sure to test their children before school starts.

In case of symptoms, of course, but we also know that many carry the infection without noticing it themselves, says Jaara Åstrand.

However, they do not require that all Swedish school children be co-tested as in Norway.

- The Swedish Public Health Agency is the infection control experts and must make the necessary trade-offs.

But we do not think it is unreasonable to test once too much rather than too little.

The Swedish Public Health Agency answers SVT that it does not assess that there is any scientific basis for mass testing of students before the start of the semester.