The government must announce this Thursday, at 6 p.m., the measures taken for the return of the holidays which takes place three weeks after the closure of schools.
At a time when the trade unions in particular demand massive testing of staff and students, the Scientific Council recommends self-tests in schools from this start of the school year.
"For children in middle and high schools, the ATAG (antigenic self-test) is suitable" and should be the subject of training in an establishment, then be done "at home under the control of the parents", suggests the authority of government council in an opinion dated April 19 and made public this Thursday.
The Council estimates that “appears that a rhythm of 1 to 2 tests per week with a participation of at least 75% of the pupils makes it possible to have a very significant impact on the risk of school diffusion of the virus.
"
Self-tests for professionals too
On the other hand, it does not comment on the use of self-tests in nursery and primary, while the High Authority for health does not recommend them for the time being until the age of 15.
For these younger students, “either ATAG is possible and will have to be deployed with the help of parents, if possible at home before arriving at school, or as an alternative, PCR tests on saliva samples will be maintained. ”, With in the latter case“ the pitfall ”of the delay to obtain the result.
At the same time, the Council recommends "the development of a secure digital platform recording the results of the tests, or any other mode of communication specifying the performance of the test and its result".
For non-vaccinated professionals "intervening in contact with the most fragile people", self-tests must also be a priority.
And according to the Council, the use of ATAGs can also "be proposed in the non-professional field (festive family reunions, other types of reunification) or professional (companies)".
"Self-tests can become an asset for the management of the epidemic", finally estimates the Council, which sees in them "a real opportunity of screening and reduction of the risk, reinforcing the policy of diagnosis and epidemiological follow-up of the confirmed cases.
This is why the Council asks that these self-tests can be generalized this summer in childcare facilities and obviously from the start of the September school year.
