MONTREAL -- Students in Laval can now do saliva testing for COVID-19 right in their schools, an initiative meant to make life easier for families and to curb the spread of the virus.
The pilot project is currently being deployed by the CISSS regional health authority of Laval and the city's school service centre.
The project will begin with two elementary schools and a secondary school in suburb, but if all goes well, it is expected that all Laval schools will get these tests in the coming weeks. Already, a few classes at Mont-de-La Salle school have taken the test.
As soon as a case of coronavirus is confirmed for any student, public health recommends isolating that student's class "bubble." When the parents of children in those bubbles come pick them up, that's when they're given the kits. This kit is accompanied by a memory aid and an explanatory letter.
Teachers can also use saliva tests if public health authorities recommend that a staff member gets screened for the virus.
These saliva tests have several advantages: they are less intrusive and more comfortable than traditional tests, since they only require the taking of a saliva sample and not the insertion of a long rod into the throat or the nasal cavity.
Students can also take the test home and take it at home. They then only have to return it to a screening centre without delay and without making an appointment.
"It is therefore rapid access to testing, which offers the same level of quality and validity as the usual sample-taking through the nose," said the Laval CISSS's director of public health, Dr. Jean-Pierre Trepanier, in a press release.
The move is also a timely one heading into the holiday season, said the Laval school services centre director, Yves Michel Volcy.
"We hope that this measure will make it possible to increase screening in schools and limit the spread of viruses in our establishments, but also in the community," he said.
The CISSS pointed out another big benefit, especially in light of warnings this week from Quebec Health Minister Christian Dubé that the province's health system is getting so stretched it's cancelling many non-COVID procedures: the saliva tests don't take up much of health professionals' time.
Saliva testing doesn't depend on swab supply, either.
Still, even where saliva tests are available, certain situations will still require the use of a swab test, including young children's tests and those of people who produce little saliva, the CISSS said.
Laval was the first region to offer its entire population the COVID-19 saliva screening test, starting November 9. It has offered it to certain groups as far back as September.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 8, 2020.
