Starting this week, kindergartens and elementary schools are distributing corona self-test kits for free. It’s asking them to come home for a test twice a week, but some parents ask for it to be tested with acupuncture.
Reporter Park Jae-hyeon covered the story.
<기자>
A kindergarten in Seoul. Give each child two rapid antigen test kits.
[김주혜/유치원 선생님 : 자가진단키트로 해서 집에서도 검사를 받았던 친구들도 있다고 했었죠? 화요일날 저녁, 또는 일요일날 저녁 이렇게 일주일에 2번 하면 돼요.]
Although the Ministry of Education stated that the twice-weekly preemptive inspection is a recommendation, not a requirement, it is already recognized as a necessity rather than an option in many places of education.
[초등학생 학부모 : 선생님들이 (학생들의 자가진단 앱을) 다 보신단 말이에요. 일단 자가 앱에 (신속검사 여부 입력을) 넣는 것 자체가 엄마들은 의무사항 아니냐 이거죠.]
Parents take the first step in worrying regarding wrestling with their child over the test before going to school.
Even at screening stations, two adults are attached to each other.
[움직이면 안 돼요. 한 번만 다시 할게요.]
[양유진/학부모 : 다시는 이걸 해주고 싶지 않아요. 일주일에 2번씩 계속 해야한다고 하면 솔직히 유치원이나 학교 이런 데도 보내고 싶지 않을 정도로….]
There are also voices calling for the introduction of a method of testing with saliva like in other countries.
Some countries, such as the United States and Germany, have been conducting self-tests using needles since last year.
The Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC) said, “There is no product approved for saliva testing yet.” “If a product that has passed the accuracy standards and has been approved by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety becomes available, it will be possible to introduce it.”
(Video coverage: Hyung Yoon, video editing: Eunjin Choi, VJ: Soyoung Shin)
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