Last spring, 600,000 weekly saliva tests were offered to primary school children with the consent of their parents. Today, three self-tests carried out on D0, D2 and D4 are sufficient to certify that the child is negative for Covid.
Since the onset of the health crisis, the government has insisted on keeping schools open. To allow students to go to school, massive screening is in place. In the spring of 2021, Jean-Michel Blanquer launched a campaign of saliva tests which had been reinforced at the start of the school year on September 2, with 600,000 saliva tests per week in primary. Rreserved primarily for kindergarten and elementary school students, for whom nasopharyngeal swabs may be more difficult, these tests seemed to be more accepted by children. The government then changed its health protocol at school on several occasions, during the start of the school year on January 3, then a few days later, on January 6. Initially, students with contact or positive cases had to perform a PCR or antigen test on D0, then two self-tests on D2 and D4. On January 10, the Prime Minister announced that three self-tests would be sufficient at school.
In its health protocol at school, the Ministry of Education still mentions the possibility of performing a saliva test. “These tests are deployed for the benefit of nursery and elementary school students for whom it is more difficult to perform a nasopharyngeal sample.“specifies the document.
Saliva tests still widely used
Before the new protocol of January 10, saliva PCR tests were still widely used on French territory in November and December according to the Department of Research, Studies, Evaluation and Statistics. But why have they set aside by National Education? Due to unreliability? Absolutely not according to biologists who point out that the reliability rates of saliva PCR tests are between 85 and 90%. A study carried out by the French National Authority for Health even shows that saliva PCR tests could have a detection efficiency comparable or even superior to that of nasopharyngeal PCR tests.
The reliability of saliva PCR tests is therefore not questionable, but they are no longer recommended for reasons of time. mainly because the results are only transmitted after 24 hours. On the other hand, they are complicated to set up at school even if the saliva self-tests offered in certain places could simplify the situation. Faced with these pitfalls, biologists suggest rather in the event of a contact case of carry out two self-tests followed by a PCR saliva test carried out between D + 5 and D + 7.
The HAS should also soon update its opinion on antigenic saliva tests judged severely last spring. “Very soon, we will either have to confirm that there is no relevance to using salivary antigenic tests, or on the contrary to perhaps use them in symptomatic or asymptomatic patients.“, explained to Figaro Cédric Carbonneil, Head of the Service for the Assessment of Professional Acts at HAS.
Saliva test at school: how is it going?
The student spits into a tube which is then sent to a laboratory within five hours. If the child cannot cough up, saliva may be taken from under the tongue using a pipette. The saliva sample is stored in a dry, sterile bottle at room temperature and should be analyzed within 24 hours of collection. To note that the saliva test should be performed 30 minutes after the last drink, food or toothbrushing. The result is then returned by the laboratory within the same timeframe as that of a nasopharyngeal RT-PCR test. The saliva test therefore does not save time but it is much better accepted by the youngest.
A poster to explain the saliva test to children
To inform and reassure children who need to have a saliva test, the Sparadrap association produced a poster which illustrates how it works, gives practical advice to children and recalls the main instructions. He thus provides advice to children on how to get saliva and explains to them the different shapes of bottles. Better informed, children are thus less stressed and more serene before having a saliva test. This poster is available free in digital version on the website of sticking plaster. It can also be printed and displayed in schools and places where saliva tests are performed. Families can also download it to read it before the test.