Lower Austria introduces 'lollipop test' in kindergartens

For early detection of a Covid infection

In Lower Austria, five kindergartens will become part of a pilot project that will test children for Covid-19 infection. This will be done through the so-called "lollipop tests". The goal is to detect CoV infections as early as possible in kindergartens. If the pilot project is successful, it should be expanded to other regions.

When the pilot project was announced, the two state councillors in charge of it, Christiane Teschl-Hofmeister (VP) and Ulrike Königsberger-Ludwig (SP), promised that the new tests would be particularly child-friendly.

The plan is to use the new tests for eight weeks, and an evaluation will take place after two weeks more. "If the 'lollipop tests' are well received, we will push ahead with the rollout of the test procedure for kindergartens throughout Lower Austria even before the end of the pilot," announced Health Councilor Königsberger-Ludwig.

According to Education Councilor Teschl-Hofmeister, the assessments should be administered on the first day of kindergarten each week and once again two days later. Within 15 minutes, the results should be visible.

The handling, the consistency and acceptance, as well as the next steps in the event of a positive result, are all put to a test. The assessments are purely voluntary and are based solely on the parents' wishes and consent.

Conducting a test of up to 440 children

Around 440 children would initially be able to participate in the project through the five participating state kindergartens. The number of samples that eventually come together is also determined by two additional variables.

On one hand, it is unclear how many kindergarten children will be brought into the groups for the test during the extended lockdown. Those in charge of the project, on the other hand, hope that as many parents as possible would consent to allow their children to participate in the pilot project.