ECOSIA KRITIK DRIVER

Participants also reported a desire to contribute to COVID-19 research, thereby increasing the chance for a timely return to “a more normal school routine” (mother). This was voiced when testing became compulsory, especially addressing families who initially had decided against study participation.Īn increased sense of safety was reported as the key motivation and consequence of testing across respondent groups for participation in the study and testing in general. While participants generally acknowledged these concerns, several parents also discussed concerns that not everyone would conscientiously perform the tests at home. School stakeholders and staff predominantly highlighted organizational and infrastructural barriers to school-based screening, including the strain on already limited teaching time, concerns regarding the psychological consequences of a student testing positive in school (including potential stigmatization by peers), and questions regarding teacher accountability. Consequently, a majority of stakeholders appreciated the newest generation of RDTs because they relied on anterio-nasal swabs, which were viewed as less burdensome for those performing the tests in general and children in particular.Ī major point of debate entailed whether to conduct screening at home or on-site.

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Some participants voiced concerns regarding screening because it placed an unnecessary burden on children, especially in light of increasing communication at the time that children were not a driver of the pandemic and the perception that children’s physical and mental health was already strained enough by the pandemic. School stakeholders highlighted their key motivations for exploring RDT-based screening as minimizing risks of secondary infections and school closures, as well as a hope that screening may lead to other positive consequences (e.g., repeal of mask mandates). This study fills a gap in the literature by providing implementation insights regarding RDTs for home-based screening of primary school children in Germany. While a study from Great Britain suggests that SARS-CoV-2 protective measures in schools are highly accepted among students and parents, to the best of our knowledge there is no evidence available on the perceptions of and experiences with the implementation of testing for entrance screening in school settings and the effects on compliance with other safety measures (e.g., masks).Īn in-depth investigation of school-based testing implementation would facilitate evidence-based recommendations for best practices of entrance screening in schools, not only in the context of this pandemic but also for future public health crises. However, the idea of large-scale screening efforts at schools was criticized both from an epidemiological perspective (regarding imperfect test performance, especially of RDTs), but also as being an unnecessary burden for school children. An addendum to the toolbox of measures entailed either antigen-based rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) or pooled Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing for SARS-CoV-2. However, in light of growing evidence regarding the impact of prolonged school closure for children’s education and mental health and children’s limited impact on viral transmission dynamics, schools were reopened accompanied by the implementation of hygiene measures.

To curb infection rates in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic many countries closed primary and secondary schools, and children were shifted to remote learning to minimize risks of viral transmission.

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