Covid-19. Launch of saliva tests in schools in zone A

The saliva test campaign in schools started on Monday, with the return to class of students from zone A. The objective is to carry out between 50,000 and 80,000 tests as of this week, while awaiting the re-entry of zones B and C on March 1 and 8, said Jean-Michel Blanquer, the Minister of National Education. Ultimately, the device should ramp up to 200,000 per week. Saliva tests work like PCRs, but instead of putting swabs in children’s noses, their saliva is taken. They are judged to be 85% reliable, less than PCR tests, but enough to have been validated by the High Authority for Health. These tests will not be generalized to the 12.5 million people who go to school, college or high school in France. They will be used primarily for kindergarten and elementary school students, for whom a swab in the nose can be painful.