RT-PCR/MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry-based detection of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva specimens

Article Infectious Diseases

Saliva sample as a non-invasive specimen for the diagnosis of coronavirus disease 2019: a cross-sectional study

E. Pasomsub et al.

Summary: Saliva may serve as an alternative specimen for the diagnosis of COVID-19, with high sensitivity and specificity compared to nasopharyngeal and throat swab RT-PCR.

CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY AND INFECTION (2021)

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Review Microbiology

Considerations for diagnostic COVID-19 tests

Olivier Vandenberg et al.

Summary: In this review, Vandenberg et al. explore the crucial role of diagnostic tests during the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing technical and implementation issues encountered and suggesting future directions for improved diagnostics in potential future outbreaks.

NATURE REVIEWS MICROBIOLOGY (2021)

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Article Microbiology

Saliva Is a Promising Alternative Specimen for the Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Children and Adults

Rebecca Yee et al.

Summary: Overall concordances for saliva and NPS were 91.0% and 94.7% respectively, with positive percent agreement (PPA) values of 81.4% and 89.7%. Saliva detected 10 additional positive cases compared to NPS. Both saliva and NPS showed comparable performance for symptomatic and asymptomatic pediatric patients not previously diagnosed with COVID-19.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY (2021)

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Editorial Material Pathology

Diagnostics in the Time of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Challenges and Opportunities

Barbara Zehnbauer

JOURNAL OF MOLECULAR DIAGNOSTICS (2021)

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Review Medicine, General & Internal

Comparison of Saliva and Nasopharyngeal Swab Nucleic Acid Amplification Testing for Detection of SARS-CoV-2 A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Guillaume Butler-Laporte et al.

Summary: This study evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of saliva NAAT for COVID-19 and found that its accuracy is similar to that of nasopharyngeal swab NAAT, especially in ambulatory settings. This suggests the potential for saliva NAAT as an alternative to nasopharyngeal swabs and supports further research in this area.

JAMA INTERNAL MEDICINE (2021)

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Article Microbiology

Self-Collected Saline Gargle Samples as an Alternative to Health Care Worker-Collected Nasopharyngeal Swabs for COVID-19 Diagnosis in Outpatients

David M. Goldfarb et al.

Summary: This study evaluated the performance, stability, and user acceptability of different self-collected sample types for detecting SARS-CoV-2. Saline mouth rinse/gargle samples showed excellent sensitivity and stability, as well as the highest acceptability scores, making them a promising option for outpatient self-collection in adults and school-aged children.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY (2021)

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Review Microbiology

Performance of Saliva, Oropharyngeal Swabs, and Nasal Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Detection: a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Rose A. Lee et al.

Summary: Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs are considered the best sample for diagnosing SARS-CoV-2, but saliva, oropharyngeal (OP), nasal (NS) swabs, and combinations of OP/NS are promising alternatives. While some alternative samples had lower detection rates, a combination of OP/NS showed comparable performance to NP swabs. The absence of RNA extraction (saliva) and use of a more sensitive nucleic acid amplification test (NS) significantly reduced the positive yield of alternative samples.

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL MICROBIOLOGY (2021)

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Article Multidisciplinary Sciences

Saliva is more sensitive than nasopharyngeal or nasal swabs for diagnosis of asymptomatic and mild COVID-19 infection

Alvin Kuo Jing Teo et al.

Summary: The study found saliva to be a sensitive sample for COVID-19 diagnosis, with a higher positivity rate compared to nasopharyngeal and self-administered nasal swabs. Cycle threshold values were lower across all sample types during the early stage of infection.

SCIENTIFIC REPORTS (2021)

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News Item Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology