Parents in a Utah school district say there's a 'mom code' in which mothers are urging others against testing their children tested for COVID-19
In screenshots from parenting Facebook groups seen by "Good Morning America" and the local ABC station KUTV, parents in Davis County, Utah, encouraged others not to have their children tested for COVID-19.
The parents were part of a "mom code," other mothers and fathers told KUTV, who said the group wanted to keep COVID-19 numbers low so school wouldn't be canceled.
Health officials say testing is important — it can help people be treated for COVID-19 earlier, and stop the spread of the virus among others.
Parents in a Utah school district have reportedly formed a "mom code," in which they encourage others to not have their children tested for COVID-19 in an attempt to keep numbers artificially low so schools can remain open.
In screenshots from parenting Facebook groups seen by "Good Morning America" and the local ABC station KUTV, mothers and fathers in the Davis County, Utah, have told others to avoid testing, saying it's "unnecessary," and could cause too many people to be quarantined.
"Stay home, don't get tested," one comment said, while another said: "If your child shows COVID symptoms, please keep them home but DO NOT test."
Health experts say testing for COVID-19 is necessary — it can help treat people who have COVID-19 more quickly, and immediate isolation can help prevent the spread of the virus.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says in its COVID-19 guidelines that anyone who has COVID-19 symptoms or anyone who has been in contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus should be tested.
But parents in Davis County told KUTV that families are encouraging the opposite.
"Parents are saying, 'let's not test', just so they don't have to worry about shutting down the sports teams," Genevra Prothero, a parent in the Davis School District, told KUTV. "I think that it is absolutely a disgrace."
Davis School District parent Heather Bremner told KUTV that she feared the "mom code" could lead to a large outbreak of COVID-19.
"I have a son who's at risk. I view it as a community effort to keep the virus at bay," she said.
Davis County's school district is currently doing a hybrid of in-person and virtual teaching, and last week the district's Board of Education released COVID-19 protocols that would force students and staff into a 14-day quarantine and remote learning if an outbreak were to occur.
The Davis School District did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment, but a spokesman told KUTV that he was not aware of the "mom code."
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