Saliva-based COVID test kits less effective than current nose and throat swabs

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Peer-reviewed: This work was reviewed and scrutinised by relevant independent experts.

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A self-administered kit that uses saliva to test for COVID-19 is less effective at detecting the virus than standard nose and throat swabs, according to US research. An at-home self-administered COVID testing kit would help cut the need for health care professionals, personal protective equipment and testing clinics but the study found that of the 70 positive samples, the virus was detected in 80 per cent of the swabs and 68.6 per cent of the saliva samples. The researchers say that although saliva testing had a lower rate of detection, it may still be of benefit for remote, vulnerable, or challenging populations.

Journal/conference: Annals of Internal Medicine

Link to research (DOI): 10.7326/M20-4738

Organisation/s: University of Ottawa, Canada

Funder: Authors have disclosed no conflicts of interest.

Media release

From: American College of Physicians

Salivary Detection of COVID-19

Standard testing for SARSCoV-2 requires a nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal swab but has several limitations, such as the need for health care human resources and PPE, and also has the potential for transmission in transit to or at the testing center. There is an urgent need for innovative testing strategies to expedite identification of cases and facilitate mass testing.

Researchers from the University of Ottawa, Dalhousie University, and the National Microbiology Laboratory, determined that standard diagnostic methods of nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs detected more COVID-19 cases than saliva testing among patients who were asymptomatic but at high risk or who were mildly symptomatic. Despite a lower estimated rate of detection compared to swab testing, saliva testing has several advantages, as it does not require trained staff or PPE, can be done outside testing centers, and may be better tolerated in challenging or pediatric populations. Read the full text.

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