COVID-19 test kits provided by the federal government will be available to students and staff in St. Landry Parish schools beginning Monday following a rotating schedule for school communities.
St Landry Parish School District has partnered with Acadiana Practitioners as its community health provider to provide the service to the district’s students and staff experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. Testing requires a signed consent form from a parent or guardian.
The school district has 2,600 kits available.
The Abbott BinaxNOW is free to students and staff members and will be performed by an Acadiana Practitioner’s nurse using a nasal swab. Results are visible within 15 minutes, indicating a positive test result with two illuminated lines and a negative test result displaying one line.
Anyone who tests positive is required to isolate and follow up with their doctor. Students and staff receiving a negative test result yet still exhibiting symptoms should report to a clinic or their primary care physician for a PCR test, a definitive test for diagnosis.
Utilizing these test kits in schools will likely help keep schools open due to test availability and affordability.