Why test?
Testing helps preserve the moments that matter to students
COVID-19 has taken a tremendous toll on school administrations, staff, and most importantly, students. As COVID-19 continues to evolve, testing drastically reduces the risk of future outbreaks to help maximize in-person learning days, keep kids in school and keep school staff healthy and available.
How it works
Easy. Scalable. Federally Funded.
The Thermo Fisher Scientific ReadyCheckGo COVID-19 testing program for schools is designed to be easy to implement -- everything from registering students to collecting samples to viewing results are simple and scalable. Most importantly, federal funding is available to help cover the cost for schools.
The pandemic is still here and impacting schools
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Tell us about your school size and needs.
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We’ll provide turnkey expert COVID-19 testing solutions from start to finish, including staff training, sample collection and viewing results.
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We provide testing programs that are scalable and cost efficient. Our ReadyCheckGo testing program uses PCR testing, considered the “gold standard” for accuracy.
FAQs
Through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, the Biden Administration has awarded $10 billion to Epidemiology Laboratory Capacity (ELC) Reopening Schools that supports COVID-19 mitigation activities, including testing, in K-12 schools nationwide. To learn more about your state’s current testing program and how to leverage funding, visit CDC’s interactive funding map.
There are several types of tests available to detect SARS-CoV-2 and differ based on where the samples are analyzed, how many samples can be processed at once and time to results. The ReadyCheckGo program offers a flexible menu of COVID-19 tests, including lab or sourced-pooled PCR tests, rapid PCR tests and antigen tests. To learn more about each testing type, download flyer.
There is no “one-size-fits-all” approach – determining which testing type is right for your school depends on a variety of factors, including school type, community transmission rates, etc. To help make an informed decision about what testing type your school should leverage, contact a representative.
Under adult supervision, students can self-administer the test by inserting a small swab less than one inch into the nostril. This type of sample collection is less invasive, results in less discomfort and easy to administer – children as young as 5 years old can even do it! For more information on the sample collection process, download infographic.
Depending on which testing method your school uses, time to results may vary. When using PCR tests, samples must be transported to a laboratory for processing and results are typically available in 24 to 48 hours, whereas antigen or rapid PCR tests are conducted on-site and can produce results in about 30 minutes.
Yes, vaccinated children should still be regularly tested for COVID-19 because vaccines cannot guarantee 100% immunity from the virus. Therefore, children can still contract and spread SARS-CoV-2, despite their vaccination status. In addition, children are more likely to be asymptomatic compared to adults, meaning they show no symptoms, but are still infectious. Regularly testing for COVID-19, symptomatic or not, has proven to be an effective tool to help identify positive cases quickly and before they become an outbreak.
Parents should be aware that the ReadyCheckGo program is optional. If a parent or guardian chooses to opt into the program, results will not be shared with other students, government agencies or anyone outside of themselves and the school administrators for tracking purposes.
If you are a parent or guardian who is interested in how you can start the conversation with your child’s school leaders about implementing a COVID-19 testing program, there are resources available to help. Browse the parent resource page to learn more.
Plan ahead
Keeping schools open as the pandemic evolves
According to the CDC, children are more likely than adults to be asymptomatic, meaning they don’t show signs of sickness when infected.¹ While new variants may evolve, regular COVID-19 testing gives you the visibility to detect positive cases, keeping sick kids at home and healthy ones in the classroom.
Resources
Explore our collection of resources to help inform your decision to support K-12 school in-person learning
Tools to help you understand the various COVID-19 testing technologies and what testing type is best for your school district
See real life examples of what an on-site COVID-19 testing program looks like in schools
Interested? Get in touch with us.
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