New saliva-based test introduced to simplify Coronavirus testing

In the latest development of Coronavirus testing, a new COVID-19 Saliva Test has been introduced in the US in order to simplify and quicken the testing process, especially for those who may not be able to go to one of the drive-up testing sites. This test, unlike the more commonly used nasopharyngeal swab technique, can be conducted at home and requires the suspect to only spit inside a cup. Developed by Andrew Brooks, the saliva tests can be performed by people at home and sent to laboratories via mail.

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For the spit test, patients from Rutgers are made to spit into a 2-millilitre cup that comes with a chemical solution that preserves the genetic material of the coronavirus for making it easy to ship to the laboratory.

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Another simpler measure for conducting the coronavirus test is the 'SickStick' device which is developed by researcher from the University of Colorado's firm Darwin Biosciences. Similarly, Oklahoma State University which is awaiting approval from FDA is also currently using saliva for testing nursing home patients. 

"This is exciting. The world is plagued by a scarcity of swabs, so having an alternative is a great thing," said Bob Kocher, physician, and member of California's testing task force to ANI. "Also, no patient likes the feeling of having a swab pushed nearly into your brain to collect COVID-19 samples. It is much easier to spit into a tube," Kocher added. 

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, the US has reported 21,030 new coronavirus cases on Thursday. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to worsen in the United States with over 1.4 million confirmed cases and 86,912 deaths.  The United States is currently the country with the most coronavirus cases in the world, surpassing China, Italy, and Spain. New York City is one of the worst-hit spots in the United States.

(With Agency Inputs)

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