COVID-19 Saliva Testing

COVID-19 Saliva Testing

Throughout the course of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have adjusted recommendations on preferred specimen types for collection of COVID-19 diagnostic samples as new evidence has been made available.  Initially, nasopharyngeal specimen collection was the gold standard for collection as insights from previous pandemics demonstrated relatively low risk of false negative results when using this collection method.  As many millions of Americans have had to experience, this collection procedure can be extremely uncomfortable, it requires trained a healthcare professional for specimen collection, which at times can create risk for transmission due to the required proximity of the collector and donor.  Though use of this specimen type has been of utmost importance during the pandemic, evidence supporting use of alternative specimens that allow for simpler, more comfortable collection is beginning to accumulate.

Last week, a review of published information comparing the effectiveness of saliva and nasopharyngeal samples in detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19, was published in JAMA Internal Medicine, one of the most highly regarded scientific publications.  After completing a thorough evaluation of all studies comparing the aforementioned specimen types, the authors concluded that saliva samples may not only allow for simpler and more comfortable specimen collection, but that they also offer comparable sensitivity and specificity in testing.  The published systematic review can be found here: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/fullarticle/2775397?resultClick=1

Throughout the pandemic, Aegis has continued to expand testing services to meet the needs of the United States as it continues to battle COVID-19.  To better service those individuals that are reluctant to provide nasally collected samples or those looking to simplify specimen collection, Aegis is now offering saliva specimen collection kits for use in COVID-19 diagnostic testing.  To learn more about our saliva testing, please visit: https://www.aegislabs.com/our-services/covid19-testing/