From this Sunday, the country’s health and education ministers recommended that all parents whose children are in school to test them before sending them to school, using a self-test via swab in the nose, and at their expense. The goal: to limit the spread of the virus in the classes and therefore the stopping of classes due to quarantine.
Since then, many parents have voiced their criticism: because of the long-term cost this strategy represents for families. Or because of the difficulty in performing these kinds of tests on young children, and the pain it can give them. However, other solutions exist.
In March, a pilot project was carried out in 20 French-speaking schools to carry out saliva tests at school on kindergarten and primary children.
The project was abandoned by the French-speaking Minister of Education Caroline Désir, because these tests were too expensive (46 euros each) and required manpower in the schools (charge for school directors). Still, they had the advantage:
-to be carried out at school and therefore not to depend on the goodwill of parents
-to cost the State rather than conscientious families
-to be less intrusive and painful than swabs in children’s noses.
Abroad, according to the observations of the League of Families, France, Switzerland, Austria, Germany for example, organize themselves the preventive screening of children. In some of these countries, other less intrusive means than a cotton swab in the nose are also used: the PCR pacifier, for example.
As for the cost deemed exorbitant by politicians, the University of Liège claims to be able to offer saliva tests at a cost of 15 euros per class (20 students). Or less than one euro each.
