A new rapid diagnostic test for novel coronavirus infection that uses saliva samples was granted an emergency use authorisation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on August 15. The test uses a new method of processing saliva samples for testing coronavirus infection. According to the preprint, SalivaDirect test can detect when the number of virus copies in the saliva sample is as low as six-12 copies per microlitre. In contrast, testing nasopharyngeal swabs leads to false negative test results due to errors at the time of sample collection. AdvertisingAdvertisingCollecting and testing saliva samples three steps — collecting saliva without preservative buffers, proteinase K treatment and heat inactivation, and dualplex RT-qPCR virus detection.

Source: The Hindu August 16, 2020 08:19 UTC