Covid-19 Information

A COVID-19 screening is a non-diagnostic tool which uses a saliva sample to identify the need for further medical evaluation for COVID-19. This is especially helpful in asymptomatic individuals. NSCD's screening is considered non-diagnostic because samples are collected at home and tested in a lab outside of a medical facility. It is based on FDA approved tests and proven science. Any “positive” results will need confirmation by an additional FDA approved PCR test.

The goal of the COVID-19 screening program is to increase the safety of our school community by helping to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19. The relative ease of the saliva test, its accuracy, and the rapid return of results will support our current health and safety protocols by identifying asymptomatic individuals with COVID-19 and thereby helping to reduce and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Yes, the screening is mandatory for all students, faculty and staff who will be on campus.

If you choose to not have your child participate in the test, they will not be allowed to attend in-person learning at NSCD. However, they will be able to access our remote-learning program.

Absolutely not. Saliva testing is another layer of protection, but we will continue to require mask and daily health attestations and enforce social distancing as we did all fall. Travel quarantines will still be in effect, though they may evolve as Illinois guidelines are updated.

No. NSCD is currently picking up the cost (~ $11 each) for every student, faculty and staff member at NSCD.

No. You do not need to show proof of insurance.

Studies have shown that some people continue to test positive weeks after infection, even though they are no longer contagious. Because of this, anyone who has submitted proof of a positive COVID-19 test result will not be required to complete the weekly saliva screening for 90 days.

A COVID-19 test is a diagnostic test used to confirm the virus. NSCD's screening is considered non-diagnostic because samples are collected at home and tested in a lab outside of a medical facility.

NSCD's screening is a molecular test, not the less sensitive antigen tests often used at rapid testing facilities. NSCD's screening uses RT-LAMP technology, a well-developed and well-researched RNA amplification process. This type of screening has been validated and used worldwide for its accuracy and sensitivity.

This chart from the CDC explains the different types of COVID-19 tests:

These scientific research articles provide more information about LAMP testing:

• Science magazine: A colorimetric RT-LAMP assay and LAMP-sequencing for detecting SARS-CoV-2 RNA in clinical samples
• Science Direct: Mini review: Recent progress in RT-LAMP enabled COVID-19 detection

In addition, the FDA approved an at-home test on November 17, 2020, that also uses LAMP technology. It is not exactly the same as North Shore's screening but does use the same RNA amplification process:

Finally, this webinar recording includes information on safeguard surveillance as it is being implemented at New Trier High School and a Q&A with Dr. Ed Campbell, who developed the screening test.

Parents must complete a waiver before Thursday, January 14, for each of their children. This form is available on My North Shore. Please login and complete the form(s) as soon as possible. For help with My North Shore, please contact School Registrar Julie Schmidt at jschmidt@nscds.org.

Usually, students, faculty and staff will be asked to bring their samples on Thursdays when they arrive at school. For students, and any faculty or staff who will be on campus in the morning, the samples may be completed any time after 6 p.m. on Wednesdays. Samples will leave campus by 10:30a on testing day. Separate procedures will be communicated surrounding school vacations and other possible changes to this general schedule.

Each family will receive a large Ziploc bag with the student’s name on it. Each student has their own bag with dedicated materials. Inside there will be four weeks of testing materials:  Vials with a barcode on them, small straws to fill the vials, coin envelopes to return the completed samples and written instructions.

Each student will provide a small amount of saliva by drooling into a vial using a small straw. This sample may be completed any time after 6 p.m. the night before school drop-off—it will remain stable and viable overnight at room temperature. The sample must be brought to school on the assigned day in order for students to attend.

• Before providing your sample, do not drink (even water) for 30 minutes
  Collecting saliva too soon after drinking anything, including water, dilutes your saliva sample. 
• Before providing your sample, do not eat or chew gum for 30 minutes.
  In addition to diluting your sample, you could be introducing non-human DNA to your sample. 

• Bubbles do not count
  After providing your sample, make sure that the liquid saliva reaches the first (.5) line; any bubbles should be above the line. This will ensure that enough saliva is collected. 

Instructions:

1. Open the test tube.

2. Use the straw to “funnel” saliva into the test tube. 

3. Close the tube securely. 

4. Place the tube in the envelope. 

5. Return the envelope with the test tube to school. 

Note: It takes most people 2 to 5 minutes to provide a saliva sample 

If you’re having trouble, try: 

• Collecting large amounts of saliva in the mouth before spitting (that's often easier than spitting small amounts more often) 

• Closing your mouth and wiggling your tongue 

• Gently rubbing the outside of your cheeks, just behind your back teeth 

• Making chewing motions with your mouth 

• Smelling or imagining smelling sour foods such as lemons 

• Thinking about your own favorite food 

For the first week or two, we will have extra vials and labels available for students to provide a sample. After that, we will not allow students to do so. For obvious safety reasons, we are trying to avoid a situation where multiple people are unmasked and providing samples on campus. These need to be completed at home with parents.

Yes. Parents would need to drop the sample off at the regular collection time.

All samples will be removed from their coin envelopes and will be placed in test tube racks. A school driver will deliver them to Brookfield, where the Safeguard Surveillance laboratory is located.

Test results will usually be shared within 12 hours, which will allow us to notify parents before the next day of school of any significant findings and keep students (and any siblings) home until results are verified with a diagnostic PCR test.

Samples must be provided every test day unless you have been notified otherwise by the school nurse. If you do not submit a sample on a test day, you may not attend school in-person until the next saliva testing day. If you are currently learning remotely but plan to attend in-person the following week, you must drop off a sample. We do not accept outside COVID-19 testing in lieu of saliva testing.

Parents will ONLY be contacted in the event their child’s screening shows a need for further follow-up. A member of the COVID Response Team will notify the parents via email before the next school day if a sample is flagged. Any students who are identified by the screening will be referred to a CLIA-certified lab for diagnostic testing. This is a technical way of saying that if anything suspicious is identified, students will need a full PCR test, just as we ask now as part of our daily health attestations.

School will follow the IDPH guidelines as if a child had presented with signs/symptoms of COVID-19. The student and any siblings will quarantine at home until a COVID-19 PCR test result is obtained.

Children can return to school after a negative COVID-19 PCR test result is provided to the school or a 10-day isolation following a positive PCR result is completed.

No. Siblings must be quarantined until the student with the flagged saliva sample provides a negative PCR COVID-19 test or for 14 days if the confirmatory PCR test is positive. We will continue to follow IDPH guidelines.

Teachers and other families would only be notified through regular contact tracing procedures, and only when a flagged screening result is followed by a positive PCR COVID-19 result, not when a screening test suggests further investigation.

Not necessarily. We will follow the guidance from the Cook County Department of Public Health as to contact tracing, as we did this fall.

This is dependent on whether the flagged screening results are confirmed by a positive PCR COVID-19 test result along with guidance from the Cook County Department of Health.

Yes. Any time symptoms develop, an evaluation by a healthcare provider is still necessary and a negative PCR result or MD note with an alternative diagnosis is still required for return to campus.

Screening results are shared only with the NSCD COVID-19 Response team and the parent/ guardian.

Safeguard Surveillance will not see the names of any students, only barcodes. The names tied to barcodes are treated as a medical record and thus stored and protected just as all other medical information in our school records.