Background : SARS-CoV-2 quickly spreads in the worldwide population, imposing social restrictions to control the infection, being the massive testing another essential strategy to break the chain of transmission. Aim : To compare the performance of at-home self-collected samples – saliva and combined nasal-oropharyngeal swabs (NOP) – for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a telemedicine platform for COVID-19 surveillance. Material and methods : We analyzed 201 patients who met the criteria of suspected COVID-19. NOP sampling was combined (nostrils and oropharynx) and saliva collected using a cotton pad device. Detection of SARS-COV-2 was performed by using the Altona RealStar® SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Kit 1.0. Results: There was an overall significant agreement (κ coefficient value of 0.58) between saliva and NOP. Considering results in either sample, 70 patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 were identified, with 52/70 being positive in NOP and 55/70 in saliva. This corresponds to sensitivities of 74.2% (95% CI; 63.7% to 83.1%) for NOP and 78.6% (95% CI; 67.6% to 86.6%) for saliva. Conclusion : Our data show the feasibility of using at-home self-collected samples (especially saliva), as an adequate alternative for SARS-CoV-2 detection. This new approach of testing can be useful to develop strategies for COVID-19 surveillance and for guiding public health decisions.

SARS-CoV-2 quickly spread in the worldwide population by contact with oral and respiratory secretions of infected individuals, imposing social restrictions to control the infection. Massive testing is essential to breaking the chain of COVID-19 transmission. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of at-home self-collected samples - saliva and combined nasal-oropharyngeal swabs (NOP) - for SARS-CoV-2 detection in a telemedicine platform for COVID-19 surveillance. We analyzed 201 patients who met the criteria of suspected COVID-19. NOP sampling were combined (nostrils and oropharynx) and saliva collected using a cotton pad device. Detection of SARS-COV-2 was performed by using the Altona RealStar SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR Kit 1.0. According to our data, there was an overall significant agreement (k coefficient value of 0.58) between the performances of saliva and NOP. Assuming that positive results in either sample represent true infections, 70 patients positive for SARS-CoV-2 were identified, with 52/70 being positive in NOP and 55/70 in saliva. This corresponds to sensitivities of 74.2% (95% CI; 63.7% to 83.1%) for NOP and 78.6% (95% CI; 67.6% to 86.6%) for saliva. We also found a strong correlation (Beta coefficients < 1) between the cycle threshold values in saliva and NOP. Ageusia was the only symptom associated with patients SARS-CoV-2 positive only in NOP (p=0.028). In conclusion, our data show the feasibility of using at-home self-collected samples (especially saliva), as an adequate alternative for SARS-CoV-2 detection. This new approach of testing can be useful to develop strategies for COVID-19 surveillance and for guiding public health decisions.

Background COVID-19 is a disease affecting various human organs and systems, in which the virus seeks to interact with angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 receptors. These receptors are present in the oral cavity, but the direct relationship between such an interaction and possible oral manifestations of COVID-19 is still unclear. Aim The present study evaluated oral manifestations in a cohort of COVID-19 patients during the period of hospitalisation. Methods In total, 154 patients presenting moderate-to-severe forms of COVID-19 had their oral mucosa examined twice a week until the final outcome, either discharge or death. The oral alterations observed in the patients were grouped into Group 1 (pre-existing conditions and opportunistic oral lesions) and Group 2 (oral mucosal changes related to hospitalization). Results Oral lesions found in the patients of Group 1 are not suggestive of SARS-CoV-2 infection as they are mainly caused by opportunistic infections. On the other hand, oral alterations found in the patients of Group 2 were statistically ( P < 0.001) related to intubation and longer period of hospitalisation. Conclusion It is unlikely that ulcerative lesions in the oral cavity are a direct manifestation of SARS-CoV-2 or a marker of COVID-19 progression.

Background Several reports have proposed that the viral load of torque teno virus (TTV) in plasma is a biomarker of immune function in solid organ transplantation (SOT) and in allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Additionally, for the latter one, TTV-DNA quantification in saliva has also been suggested. Aim to investigate the correlation between the TTV viral load and immune function in paired saliva and plasma samples in patients on kidney transplantation. Materials and Methods TTV-DNA viral load was quantified in paired samples of saliva and plasma from 71 patients before and a short-time after renal-transplantation by real-time PCR. Results The data obtained from 213 paired samples showed a slight consistency in the comparison between saliva and plasma, with prevalence of TTV-DNA being 58%, 52% and 60% in saliva samples and 60%, 73% and 90% in plasma samples before and at 15–20 and 45–60 days after transplantation, respectively. Additionally, a high TTV viral load was observed in plasma at 15–20 and 45–60 days after transplantation compared to that observed in saliva at the same time. Conclusions Overall, monitoring TTV-DNA in saliva samples could be an additional fast non-invasive option to assess the immune functionality in SOT populations.

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