There has been a significant outbreak since the students returned from Winter Break. Although absences seem to be decreasing, students are still out due to COVID or having symptoms of COVID. Therefore, students were given two Rapid COVID-19 Tests to take home and use to slow down the spread and help alleviate the absences.

There are many questions over the school’s rapid tests, such as when should we take them? Can someone other than ourselves take them? What do we do if we come out positive? 

The matter of when to take them is to take them whenever you want. But what you should be asking is why you are taking the test? For example, are you taking because you were around someone with COVID-19, do you have symptoms of COVID-19, or do you want to take them to be sure you are not positive now? 

Answering these questions should reasonably give you the go-ahead for taking the test. Someone other than yourself should also take them whether they are parents, brothers, or other people living inside the same residence as there are two tests inside the box. 

If you, unfortunately, are to come out positive, the MUSD Website has the procedures parents and students should take. According to the MUSD website, if a student is to test positive, they should first notify the student’s school through the Daily Self-Screening Survey. Then a representative from the Workplace Infection Prevention (WIP) will contact your parents with a questionnaire about “Group contact tracing purposes.” It also suggests that anyone in close contact with the student may need to quarantine for at least five days. 

According to the MUSD Website, step 2 of the procedure says to isolate at home. The student should “Avoid others in the household and not leave home except to seek medical care.” 

MUSD WIP also states that your child can return when these said statements are true altogether: “5 days have passed since initial positive test result.”, “Fever has resolved without fever-reducing medication, and other symptoms are resolved or improved,” and when “They have tested negative on or after day 5 (day ten without testing).” 

You can also check what other procedures should be taken on the website through the “Quick Guide for Parents or Guardians” link as provided here: COVID-19 Safety Plan 2021 / COVID-19 Safety Plan 2021-2022 (mantecausd.net)

Every parent and student should read through these procedures as they are essential in keeping a safe environment throughout Weston Ranch and other areas around us.