At their meeting last Monday, School Committee members previewed consent forms that might be used if a local parent group succeeds in making pooled COVID-19 testing available for Harvard schools.
In pooled testing, saliva samples from several people are combined and tested. Only if the result is positive for the virus do the members of that pool require individual testing. Reducing the number of individual tests lowers the overall cost. (See “Parent group advocates weekly COVID-19 testing in schools,” in the Oct. 9 Press.)
The School Committee saw two versions of the consent form. One was for employees and students over 18 who, as adults, can legally sign the form themselves, and the other was for parents to sign on behalf of students under 18. Because the form is a legal document, it was also reviewed by the school district’s legal counsel.
As explained by committee member Suzanne Allen, “The goal is to be prepared in case we have the opportunity to provide screening.”
The committee emphasized that no personal information about pooled testing participants would leave the school district. Testing samples would be bar-coded for anonymity, with only the school nurse able to identify the individuals in a pooled sample.
