Back at school, kids must take testing seriously. The rest of us too.

By Virginia Templet, Puritan Medical Products marketing director

The kids are back in school, and they’re bringing the viruses with them. Across America, the back-to-school season means that we’re back to germs spreading and people getting sick more often — from schoolchildren to parents and teachers.

Infectious diseases tend to spike in the fall, with influenza and COVID-19 seeing higher transmission due to close contact in classrooms. Last year’s flu season was perhaps the worst in over a decade, resulting in more than 200 pediatric deaths — the deadliest ever recorded for U.S. children. States like California have already been experiencing a surge in COVID-19 due to the Stratus variant, increasing hospitalization rates. September schooling may add even more fuel to the fire.

From the flu to COVID-19, grave consequences may be rare, but they are not impossible. Families need to take testing seriously. In addition to vaccination, the best antidote to mitigating the transmission of common viruses is figuring out whether they are present in the first place. Testing allows infected individuals to quarantine away from large groups, including the elderly and others with greater vulnerabilities.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, the quick ramp-up in rapid testing helped prevent about seven million people from being hospitalized, saving an estimated 1.4 million lives between 2020 and 2022 alone. The billions of administered tests were proven to slow the spread of the virus.

The same logic applies to flu testing, which is shown to reduce hospital bed days and time spent in intensive care. This is especially important outside of the classroom, where kids contract the flu and then carry it back to parents or grandparents who may be more vulnerable. According to the UW School of Medicine and Public Health, rapid flu testing leads to a 21 percent reduction in hospitalizations and a 36 percent shorter length of hospital stay in nursing homes. The societal benefits are far-reaching.

We call it “flocking the flu” — or COVID for that matter. Not only do kids need to understand the importance of testing, but parents and teachers have a pivotal role to play in encouraging tests when rates of viral transmission are higher. Knowing that the back-to-school period spreads bacteria, germs, and viruses, it is up to decision-makers in the classroom and at home to emphasize early detection, educating children along the way. This is also an opportunity to show kids how they can think beyond themselves, considering others who may be more at risk of contracting serious health consequences from common viruses.

Now is the time for test administrators—and the companies that supply them — to step up too. There are many types of flu tests, with the most common being a rapid diagnostic test.

Of course, most Americans don’t need to know the intricacies of COVID or flu testing. What we do need to know is that the upside of testing far outweighs the “downside.” Think about it: After a quick nasal or throat swab, we can get results in about 10 minutes. In a matter of minutes, we can play our part in slowing the spread of viruses and protecting those around us. Isn’t that worth it?

Testing is the first step in treatment. It is the key to informed medical decision-making, unlocking recovery.

Without early detection, we’re all in the dark, making the flu, COVID, and other viruses more dangerous than needed. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw the power of testing firsthand. We see it every year in the fall months.

As viruses spread at school and beyond, consider this a timely reminder: If you’re feeling unwell, now is the time to get tested — not later. The longer we wait, the sicker we get.