After the launch of its pool testing initiative, Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Jose Maria “Joey” Concepcion 3rd is now planning to do a review and trial of saliva testing for the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19). Concepcion held discussions with SeaOil Philippines President Glenn Yu on the possibility of holding saliva tests for Covid-19, where patients rinse their mouths with a saline wash and spit into a vial. This would then be examined by a small spectral device that would shine the light on a specimen and analyze the reaction. Yu said saliva tests also use artificial intelligence technology and had the potential to reduce the result turnaround time to less than a second, which would lower testing costs and produce higher reliability percentages. The Department of Health said that experts are studying saliva testing to determine its effectiveness.

Source: Manila Times August 25, 2020 16:18 UTC