Saliva molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2: simplifying the diagnosis without losing accuracy

Saluzzo, Francesca; Mantegani, Paola; Chaurand, Valeria Poletti de; Cugnata, Federica; Rovere‐Querini, Patrizia; Cilla, Marta; Erba, Patrizia Paola; Racca, Sara; Tresoldi, Cristina; Uberti‐Foppa, Caterina; Serio, Clelia Di; Cirillo, Daniela María

doi:10.1183/13993003.02099-2021

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 6 publications

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“…When saliva was compared with nasopharyngeal swabs, PCR-based point-of-care testing for SARS-CoV-2 in Italy demonstrated 100.0% specificity (59/59 samples) and 90.2% sensitivity (37/41 samples). 50 A saliva-based point-of-care testing innovation has also been developed in Türkiye, where an electrochemical immunoassay was developed to enable reliable detection of the SARS-CoV-2 spike S1 protein using a portable device. 51 Overall, these findings highlight the potential for simplified molecular testing approaches in low- and middle-income countries.…”

Section: Current Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Saliva-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 testing in low- and middle-income countries

Tan¹,

Allicock²,

Katamba³

et al. 2022

Bull World Health Org

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As the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues to disproportionately affect low- and middle-income countries, the need for simple, accessible and frequent diagnostic testing grows. In lower-resource settings, case detection is often limited by a lack of available testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To address global inequities in testing, alternative sample types could be used to increase access to testing by reducing the associated costs. Saliva is a sensitive, minimally invasive and inexpensive diagnostic sample for SARS-CoV-2 detection that is appropriate for asymptomatic surveillance, symptomatic testing and at-home collection. Saliva testing can lessen two major challenges faced by lower- and middle-income countries: constrained resources and overburdened health workers. Saliva sampling enables convenient self-collection and requires fewer resources than swab-based methods. However, saliva testing for SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics has not been implemented on a large scale in low- and middle-income countries. While numerous studies based in these settings have demonstrated the usefulness of saliva sampling, there has been insufficient attention on optimizing its implementation in practice. We argue that implementation science research is needed to bridge this gap between evidence and practice. Low- and middle-income countries face many barriers as they continue their efforts to provide mass COVID-19 testing in the face of substantial inequities in global access to vaccines. Laboratories should look to replicate successful approaches for sensitive detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva, while governments should act to facilitate mass testing by lifting restrictions that limit implementation of saliva-based methods.

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Section: Current Applicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Saliva-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 testing in low- and middle-income countries

Tan¹,

Allicock²,

Katamba³

et al. 2022

Bull World Health Org

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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Evaluation of STANDARDTM M10 SARS-CoV-2, a Novel Cartridge-Based Real-Time PCR Assay for the Rapid Identification of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2

Grumiro

Brandolini

Gatti

et al. 2022

Applied Microbiology

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Since the beginning of the pandemic, SARS-CoV-2 has caused problems for all of world’s population, not only in terms of deaths but also in terms of overloading healthcare facilities in all countries. Diagnosis is one of the key aspects of controlling the spread of SARS-CoV-2, and among the current molecular techniques, real-time PCR is considered as the gold standard. The availability of tests that allow for the rapid and accurate identification of SARS-CoV-2 is therefore of considerable importance. Moreover, if these tests allow for even minimal intervention by the operator, any risk of contamination is reduced. In this study, the performances of the new STANDARDTM M10 SARS-CoV-2 (SD Biosensor Inc., Suwon, Korea) rapid molecular test, which incorporates the above-mentioned features, were characterized. The clinical and analytical performances measured by testing different variants circulating in Italy of STANDARDTM M10 SARS-CoV-2 were compared to the test already on the market and recognized as the gold standard: Xpert Xpress SARS-CoV-2 (Cepheid, Sunnyvale, CA, USA). The results obtained between the two tests are largely comparable, suggesting that STANDARDTM M10 SARS-CoV-2 can be used with excellent results in the fight against the global spread of SARS-CoV-2.

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Saliva as a Biological Fluid in SARS-CoV-2 Detection

Silva,

Furtado,

Silveira

et al. 2024

Diagnostics

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Background: The polymerase chain reaction of upper respiratory tract swab samples was established as the gold standard procedure for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2 during the COVID pandemic. However, saliva collection has attracted attention as an alternative diagnostic collection method. The goal of this study was to compare the use of saliva and nasopharyngeal swab (NPS) samples for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. Methods: Ninety-nine paired samples were evaluated for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 by saliva and swab for a qualitative diagnosis and quantitative comparison of viral particles. Furthermore, the detection limits for each sample collection technique were determined. The cycle threshold (CT) values of the saliva samples, the vaccination status, and the financial costs associated with each collection technique were compared. Results: The results showed qualitative equivalence in diagnosis (96.96%) comparing saliva and swab collection, although there was low quantitative agreement. Furthermore, the detection limit test demonstrated equivalence for both collection methods. We did not observe a statistically significant association between CT values and vaccination status, indicating that the vaccine had no influence on viral load at diagnosis. Finally, we observed that the use of saliva incurs lower financial costs and requires less use of plastic materials, making it more sustainable. Conclusions: These findings support the adoption of saliva collection as a feasible and sustainable alternative to the diagnosis of COVID-19.

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Saliva molecular testing for SARS-CoV-2: simplifying the diagnosis without losing accuracy

Cited by 3 publications

References 6 publications

Saliva-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 testing in low- and middle-income countries

Saliva-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 testing in low- and middle-income countries

Evaluation of STANDARDTM M10 SARS-CoV-2, a Novel Cartridge-Based Real-Time PCR Assay for the Rapid Identification of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2

Saliva as a Biological Fluid in SARS-CoV-2 Detection

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