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Review
. 2020 May 15;9(5):1491.
doi: 10.3390/jcm9051491.

Use of Saliva for Diagnosis and Monitoring the SARS-CoV-2: A General Perspective

Jose J Ceron  1 , Elsa Lamy  2 , Silvia Martinez-Subiela  1 , Pia Lopez-Jornet  3 , Fernando Capela E Silva  4 , Peter David Eckersall  5 , Asta Tvarijonaviciute  1
Affiliations
Review

Use of Saliva for Diagnosis and Monitoring the SARS-CoV-2: A General Perspective

Jose J Ceron et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

In this report, updated information and future perspectives about the use of saliva as a sample for laboratory analysis of the Covid-19 are highlighted. Saliva can be used for the direct detection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, the quantification of the specific immunoglobulins produced against it, and for the evaluation of the non-specific, innate immune response of the patient. Moreover, a deeper knowledge of potential changes in the saliva proteome in this disease may allow the identification of new diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers, or even help our understanding of the mechanisms associated with the disease. With the development of appropriate sample collection and processing methods and the use of adequate assays, saliva can provide useful clinical information about the disease and could be potentially included in guidelines for sample collection for the diagnosis, disease management, and control of Covid-19.

Keywords: Covid-19; SARS; coronavirus; saliva.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Use of saliva in Covid-19.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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