Impact of testing K-12 for covid

School districts are reevaluating their testing practices to help detach silent infections.

IN GRADE SCHOOLS IS MOREIMPORTANT THAN EVER TO CONTAINTHE VIRUS.ABC 10NEWS ANCHOR DEREK STAAHLIS GOING IN-DEPTH ON NEWRESEARCH SHOWING HOW A LITTLETESTING, GOES A LONG WAY.AS MORE AND MORE ADULTS GETVACCINATED -- THERE'S ONE GROUPTHAT REMAINS UNPROTECTED --KIDS.1:08 -- THEY ARE THE GREATESTHARBORERS OF POTENTIAL DISEASE.1:39 -- IF THE DISEASE IS GOINGTO BE PASSED AROUND IN THECOMMUNITY, IT'LL BE NOW THECHILDREN RATHER THAN THE ADULTSTHAT ARE DRIVING IT.SAN DIEGO UNIFIED DISTRICTPHYSICIAN DR. HOWARD TARASSAYS KIDS OFTEN DON'T SHOWSYMPTOMS WHEN THEY'RE INFECTED,AND THAT MAKES K-12 TESTINGPROGRAMS AN IMPORTANT LINE OFDEFENSE FOR EVERYONE.17:59 -- THE BENEFITS AREREALLY COMMUNITY WIDE.

WELLBEYOND PEOPLE THAT EVEN HAVECHILDREN IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEM.RESEARCHERS SAY WE' HAVE TODETECT SILENT INFECTIONS IN KIDSTO GET THE PANDEMIC UNDERCONTROL... BUT K-12 PUBLICSCHOOLS LIKE SAN DIEGO UNIFIEDHAVE A PROBLEM.

TARASFROM THEM.PARENTS HAVE TO "OPT IN" TO THETESTING..

WHICH LEAVES SCHOOLDISTRICTS WITH AN IMPORTANTCHOICE: IF YOU CAN'T TEST EVERYKID, IS IT WORTH IT?RUBIN8:19 -- I THINK THE OVERRIDINGMESSAGE AROUND TESTING IS YOUDON'T NEED TO ELIMINATE EVERYINFECTION.DR. DAVID RUBIN OF POLICYLAB ATCHILDREN'S HOSPITAL OFTEAM ESTIMATED THE IMPACT OFDIFFERENT LEVELS OF K-12TESTING.THE RESEARCHERS PROJECT THAT IFSCHOOLS CAN DETECT 10 TO 20PERCENT OF THE SILENT INFECTIONSIN KIDS EARLY, IT'S LIKE HAVINGATTACK RATE TO 3.4% ATTACK RATE)IN THE GENERAL POPULATION -- IF3:21 -- I THINK THIS STUDYREALLYREVEALED THAT YOU DON'T NEED TOCAN REALLYCONTRIBUTE TO KEEPING RATES LOWTHROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY.

(3:34)HE SAYS PUBLIC SCHOOLS CANREQUIRE TESTING FOREXTRACURRICULARS LIKE SPORTS,SPECIAL EVENTS LIKE PROM, ANDBUT WHETHER THAT WILL BE ENOUGHDEPNDS ON HOW OFTEN DISTRICTSTEST,SAY MAYBE 70% OVER THE COURSE OFEVERY TWO WEEKS, AND WE'RE FARBUT DR. TARAS THINKS SAN DIEGOUNIFIED CAN REACH 70% OF ITSKIDSTESTED, BY LEANING ON TEACHERSTO RECRUIT MORE FAMILIES ANDEXPLAINING THE BENEFITS FOREVERYONE.

DS-ABC-10NEWS.THE DISTRICT SAYS IT'S ALSOSIMPLIFYING THE SIGN-UP ANSCHEDULING PROCESS TO MAKE ITEASIER FOR FAMILIES TO TAKEPART.OVER THE LAST TWO WEEKS, SANDIEGO UNIFIED TESTED ABOUT 5PERCENT OF ITS KIDS ON CAMPU