National Hauora Coalition and Counties Manukau Health caution against misinformation about throat swabs in schools

The National Hauora Coalition (NHC) and Counties Manukau Health have become aware of misinformation spreading across social media about COVID-19 testing in schools. This misinformation implies that schools are testing children for COVID-19 without parental consent and then removing children from school who test positive without notification.

The misinformation appears to directed at the Mana Kidz programme which provides an equitable rheumatic fever prevention programme, following national guidelines, which runs across 88 primary and intermediate schools in the South Auckland area, serving 34,000 children every day.

A key feature of this service is providing throat swabs to tamariki to detect Streptococcal infections. If untreated, a Streptococcal infection can lead to rheumatic fever and rheumatic heart disease which can be fatal.

These throat swabs have reportedly been mistaken by some parents for a COVID-19 test.

NHC and Counties Manukau Health emphatically state that no children involved in our Mana Kidz programme are being swabbed for COVID-19 or being removed from school.

To have a child seen in the school-based Mana Kidz programme, caregivers must give their written consent. Caregivers are offered information and a consent form for the programme when their tamariki enrol at the school. Any student whose caregiver has not consented to their involvement in the programme is not offered a throat swab or any other assessment or treatment.

NHC and Counties Manukau Health are keen to work with communities to offer services that are needed and appropriate. Whether COVID-19 testing in schools is appropriate needs further consideration.

We reiterate that no children involved in our school-based service are being swabbed for COVID-19 or being removed from school.
This misinformation is not only incorrect, but it also risks seriously undermining an important health initiative.

Rheumatic fever inequitably affects Māori and Pacific children in New Zealand. School-based throat swabbing services, such as the Mana Kidz programme, are a key element of rheumatic fever prevention interventions.

We urge whānau who have further questions or concerns to contact trusted information sources such as Counties Manukau Health or Mana Kidz via their Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/manakidz.nz or https://m.facebook.com/countiesmanukau.health.nz/), phone (0800 MK TEAM) or email (manakidz@nhc.maori.nz).