As of August 17, 2023, the Learn to Return website will no longer be maintained with up-to-date information and resources.
The DOH Testing in Schools website is now your go-to online resource for school testing.
We want all public, private, and tribal schools to be free of COVID-19 outbreaks and interruptions to school life.
Why test?
School-based testing for COVID-19 helps us stop outbreaks before they start, limit the spread of COVID-19, and keep our schools open and our extracurriculars on schedule. Learn to Return makes testing easy and accessible for the school community.
Our testing is…
voluntary
Families opt-in to testing services
Free
Testing is free-of-charge for all participants
Painless
All samples are collected with a shallow nasal swab or with saliva samples
Private
Students’ privacy is paramount
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Types of Testing
There are two main testing methods that we provide:
Diagnostic
Diagnostic testing is used to diagnose individuals when they have COVID-19 symptoms or have been exposed to someone who has COVID-19.
Screening
Screening is used to test entire groups of people at the same time, like sports teams or performing arts groups.
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Sample Collection
All tests available through Learn to Return use a shallow nasal swab to collect samples.* This is not the dreaded “brain tickler” or nasopharyngeal swab. The shallow nasal swab enters to gentle resistance, about half-an-inch into each nostril, makes several rotations, and is placed, swab-side down, in the collection tube.
*We also have saliva tests available for individual PCR testing. Participants spit into a test tube to provide a sample that is then transported to a lab and analyzed. Saliva tests may be more accessible for students with special needs, sensory issues, sinus or nasal injuries, or other aversions to an anterior nasal swab.
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Why keep tests at home?
2
People who don’t have symptoms can still spread COVID-19, so testing is critical to knowing if you’re infected.
3
To stop the spread of COVID-19, many of us need to get tested regularly – even if we don’t have symptoms. Along with vaccination, wearing a mask, hand washing, and physical distancing, frequent at-home testing protects families and friends, and it’s a great way to help in the fight against COVID-19.
4
Know more, live safer, and get back to the people and things you love sooner.
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News and Resources
What we’re reading
A Simple Rule for Planning Your Fall Booster Shot
The Atlantic – 27 August 2022. Everyone will probably gain something from the updated vaccines. Here’s how to make the most of it.
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