Riverside COVID-19 Testing Information

All preschool students — Preschool 2s, 3s, preK and kindergarten — will be part of the saliva pool testing protocol.

Testing will begin the week of January 25 with a different group of students being tested each week such that each student will be tested once every three weeks.

We know that nasal swab testing can be challenging for many of our young learners. We also know that regular testing of our in-school community is crucial to maintaining the safety and wellness of our community. We are confident that ongoing saliva testing in partnership with Mirimus is our best option to continue teaching and learning with the utmost safety.

The saliva test’s accuracy is virtually identical to that of individual PCR (polymerase chain reaction) tests, which are the most accurate types of COVID-19 tests currently available. Mirimus has conducted experiments comparing results from pooled and individual tests of the same individuals from a very close point in time and found a 97 percent match. Retesting exactly the same samples with the corresponding individual test yielded a 100 percent match. Pooled sample testing is encouraged and supported by the FDA with proper validation.

The test cannot be guaranteed to be 100% accurate. False positives are possible but rare. The test utilized by Mirimus Labs detects three different unique viral RNA templates. For a positive result, at least two RNA templates must be detected. The protocols used substantially decrease the likelihood of false positives by detecting dead viral particles.

STEP 1: 
Parents will receive a clean, individual testing kit containing a barcoded sample collection tube and additional supplies (saliva collection tube, small collection cup, a pipette and alcohol wipes for sanitizing after the sample collection). You will receive a new kit for each testing time so please discard all items after you have submitted the sample.

STEP 2: 
Individuals will safely self-collect saliva samples at home for their child and return them on their designated collection day. There are two options parents may use to collect saliva samples from their child. Please see the Instructions sheet for more detail.

We recommend taking the sample before eating or drinking. If you take the sample after eating you must wait 30 minutes to avoid contamination of the sample. The ideal time for saliva sample collection is immediately after waking up in the morning, or prior to eating and drinking large amounts in the evening. Trying to get the sample within the last 24 hours before collection will allow the best results. We advise parents to try getting some saliva the night before the collection is due and then again the morning of the collection to ensure you have the required half a vial of saliva recommended for the total sample. If your child is easily able to produce saliva at one time, then you can just collect the morning the collection is due. We realize that this will take some work in progress as we become familiar with the testing process and our children.

STEP 3: 
On collection morning, individuals will bring the barcoded collection tubes back to campus where they will be deposited in designated collection baskets upon entering the building.

Upon collection, the School will scan the barcode on the collection tube and match it in our records with the name written on the specimen bag. The barcode and identifying individual association will only be used by the School if required for additional testing or contact tracing. No identifying information will be shared with Mirimus Labs. Strict confidentiality and limited Dwight-only access will be maintained to protect the privacy of individuals.

STEP 4: 
The collected samples will be couriered the same day to the lab for testing. The lab will then test the samples using “pooled testing,” meaning the lab will group individual samples into batches of approximately 24. A small amount of each individual sample in the batch will be mixed together to create a combined pooled sample.

The School will send all the samples to the Mirimus lab for testing. If you do not hear from us by Friday, your child was not exposed or deemed to be part of a positive saliva pool.

• If COVID-19 is not detected in the combined pooled sample, no further action is required.
• If COVID-19 is detected in the combined pooled sample, the lab will conduct additional testing to narrow down which sample(s) were positive. Due to current regulation regarding observed sample collection for individual diagnostics, the specificity with which Mirimus is allowed to report is limited to a pair of samples (i.e., a sample containing a mix of two saliva samples). The barcodes associated with that pair of saliva samples will be reported to the school.
• We will in turn notify you if your child is part of a positive sample and advise accordingly.

Dwight staff who greet students coming off the buses and shuttles will be there to collect the saliva samples expected from certain students each week.

If your child is sick and unable to attend school, we can plan to test him/her the following week in a separate pool. Please alert Gigi Lee so we can prepare to make this change when necessary.

Dwight School is covering the cost of the weekly non-invasive, saliva-based pooled test from Mirimus.

Please collect as much saliva as you can — as close as possible to the half vial point as recommended. Mirimus will inform us later if the sample was not enough and we can look at rolling your child into another pool rotation at a later time.