Instructions for members of a positive pool.
Members of the positive pool will be individually tested on the same or the next day of notification using a rapid point-of-care antigen test (ie Binax NOW). See below for testing protocols.
*Same day follow up testing if results are received with enough notice to administer same day follow up tests, Parents/Guardians will be notified of a positive result for their child's pool, and that their child will receive follow up testing at the school. If the result is negative, the parents/guardians will receive a text or email and the child may stay at school. If the result is positive, the parents/guardians will receive a phone call and the child must go home to isolate according to CDC guidelines.
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*Next day follow up testing if results are received without enough notice to administer same day follow up tests -or- for those pool members who were absent the day results were received. This can be done in 2 ways:
- At School: Parents/Guardians bring their child to the school (cannot ride the bus). The parent/guardian must remain in the parking lot until their child has been tested. If the child is negative, he/she may stay at school. If the child is positive, he/she must go home and isolate according to CDC guidelines.
- At a testing site/medical facility: Parents/Guardians may opt to bring their child to a testing site (such as Walgreens) or a medical facility for testing instead. Proof of a negative COVID test must be provided to the school before the child can return.
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Second Round follow up (if necessary):
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Absent Pool Members:
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Students/Staff who are NOT participating in Pooled Testing:
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Reminder:
All members of the pool are advised that if they become symptomatic at any point, they should stay home, speak to a school administrator/nurse, and seek testing at a community testing location or medical office.
- Unless symptomatic, it is not necessary to quarantine or isolate at home until an individual has received a positive test result through follow-up testing.
- Symptomatic individuals should not return to school for any reason, including follow-up testing; instead they should stay home from school and notify the school. Symptomatic individuals are directed to obtain follow-up testing at a community test site or medical office.
*Same day follow up testing if results are received with enough notice to administer same day follow up tests, Parents/Guardians will be notified of a positive result for their child's pool, and that their child will receive follow up testing at the school. If the result is negative, the parents/guardians will receive a text or email and the child may stay at school. If the result is positive, the parents/guardians will receive a phone call and the child must go home to isolate according to CDC guidelines.
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*Next day follow up testing if results are received without enough notice to administer same day follow up tests -or- for those pool members who were absent the day results were received. This can be done in 2 ways:
- At School: Parents/Guardians bring their child to the school (cannot ride the bus). The parent/guardian must remain in the parking lot until their child has been tested. If the child is negative, he/she may stay at school. If the child is positive, he/she must go home and isolate according to CDC guidelines.
- At a testing site/medical facility: Parents/Guardians may opt to bring their child to a testing site (such as Walgreens) or a medical facility for testing instead. Proof of a negative COVID test must be provided to the school before the child can return.
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Second Round follow up (if necessary):
- If follow-up testing of a positive pool with the BinaxNOW does not identify a positive from among the pool members available, all available members of that pool will be re-tested with a second BinaxNOW no sooner than the next day, but within 2 days. It is not necessary to quarantine/isolate until an individual has received a positive individual test result or is symptomatic.
- If no positive individuals are identified with the second round of BinaxNOW, then the members of the pool can remain at school and will proceed to the next round of regularly scheduled Weekly Pooled PCR testing. According to the Maine CDC - Pooled PCR testing is a form of surveillance and two rounds of negative BinaxNOW indicates that the viral load is not detectable, and therefore unlikely to be infectious.
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Absent Pool Members:
- Members of a positive pool who are not immediately available for follow up testing with the rest of their pool will receive follow up testing per normal protocol as soon as it is possible to do so, or the individual can pursue COVID-19 testing from a community test site or medical provider and relay test results to the school. See above for next day testing protocols.
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Students/Staff who are NOT participating in Pooled Testing:
- Any unvaccinated student or staff member who is not participating in Maine’s Pooled PCR Testing Program and/or is unwilling to get follow-up BinaxNOW testing as part of a positive pool and is identified as a close contact of a confirmed case will need to quarantine for 10 days.
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Reminder:
All members of the pool are advised that if they become symptomatic at any point, they should stay home, speak to a school administrator/nurse, and seek testing at a community testing location or medical office.