Opinion: Weekly COVID tests for sports are worth it
May 4, 2021
Schools are testing student athletes across Michigan in an attempt to keep our athletes safe and healthy during our spring sport season. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is requiring all spring sports to test for COVID-19 antigens if you are in the ages 13 to 19. If a mask cannot be worn in a contact sport because it is a hazard to the athlete, they must test three times a week.
Although it is extra work on our administration and students, weekly antigen tests are a quick and efficient way to minimize the spread within our district.
The Centers of Disease Control (CDC) stated “Antigen tests are immunoassays that detect the presence of a specific viral antigen, which implies current viral infection. Antigen tests are currently authorized to be performed on nasopharyngeal or nasal swab specimens placed directly into the assay’s extraction buffer or reagent.”
When an athlete tests positive for COVD antigens, they are sent to receive a regular COVID test and quarantine until the results come back, and if they are negative, the student can return to their normal routine.
In the event that a student athlete tests positive depending on their sport and who they are close to, dictates how many people go out with them. Coaching staff is keeping close tabs on which students are within six feet of one another. The students that are close to the positive case at practices as well as the other students that sit within six feet of them during school hours will be sent home to quarantine.
