Rapid Coronavirus Testing For East Haven Students With Symptoms

EAST HAVEN, CT — Though located in New Haven, Fair Haven Community Health Care has collaborated with East Shore District Health and East Haven Public Schools to provide rapid COVID-19 testing for students at Joseph Melillo Middle School, East Haven Academy and East Haven High School who have symptoms.

The test using a SARS-CoV-2 antigen “rapid” test called BinaxNOW is supported by the Connecticut Department of Public Health “in an effort to help parents access convenient and quick screening tests that will allow for more timely contact tracing.”

East Haven is one of “only a selected few of Connecticut school districts to have this opportunity to offer in school COVID testing,” according to a message sent home to families Friday.
In order to be eligible, parents should enroll their child into the JMMS or EHHS Fair Haven School Based Health Center. Here are the enrollment forms in English and Spanish.

This testing is only offered, and only accurate, for children with symptoms.

Testing is now underway.

Who can get tested?

Any student enrolled in the School Based Health Center who has been assessed by the school nurse because they are presenting COVID-19 symptoms.

What is the process for testing?

Students feeling ill will report to the school nurse as they normally would. Upon assessment by the school nurse, the student may be brought to the isolation space where they wait to be picked up by a parent (within 30 minutes). During this time a Fair Haven Community Health Care clinician will contact parent(s) by phone to offer testing upon their arrival after obtaining parental consent.

Who does the testing and where?

Trained and certified Fair Haven Health Community Health Care nurse practitioners will be conducting the COVID testing. The testing will be done outside of the school building in an area that is sheltered, confidential, and private. The testing will not take place until the child’s parent has arrived and authorized consent.

What type of test is it?

The BinaxNOW is a “rapid” 15 minute antigen screening test for SARS-CoV-2 designed for the testing of individuals with symptoms. It is highly accurate for patients who have symptoms.

What is the advantage of this test?

Positive test results will speed-up the contact tracing process increasing our accuracy in locating and notifying close contacts to prevent family and community transmission. Negative test results will require an alternative diagnosis from the child’s physician and/or a PCR test to confirm negative results.

Those who need testing for other reasons, or who are seeking PCR testing, should contact their primary care providers or call/visit 2-1-1 to identify other testing opportunities. Fair Haven Community Health Care also offers PCR testing in the Fair Haven neighborhood free of charge; appointments can be made by calling their COVID hotline at 203-871-4179