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Comparative Study
. 2020 Nov;26(11):2770-2771.
doi: 10.3201/eid2611.203283. Epub 2020 Sep 11.

Saliva Alternative to Upper Respiratory Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis

Rachel L Byrne, Grant A Kay, Konstantina Kontogianni, Ghaith Aljayyoussi, Lottie Brown, Andrea M Collins, Luis E Cuevas, Daniela M Ferreira, Alice J Fraser, Gala Garrod, Helen Hill, Grant L Hughes, Stefanie Menzies, Elena Mitsi, Sophie I Owen, Edward I Patterson, Christopher T Williams, Angela Hyder-Wright, Emily R Adams, Ana I Cubas-Atienzar
Comparative Study

Saliva Alternative to Upper Respiratory Swabs for SARS-CoV-2 Diagnosis

Rachel L Byrne et al. Emerg Infect Dis. 2020 Nov.

Abstract

PCR of upper respiratory specimens is the diagnostic standard for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection. However, saliva sampling is an easy alternative to nasal and throat swabbing. We found similar viral loads in saliva samples and in nasal and throat swab samples from 110 patients with coronavirus disease.

Keywords: 2019 novel coronavirus disease; COVID-19; RT-qPCR; SARS-CoV-2; coronavirus; coronavirus disease; diagnosis; respiratory infections; saliva; severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2; swabs; testing; upper respiratory swab samples; viruses; zoonoses.

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Figures

Figure
Figure
Viral load (copies/mL) of SARS-CoV-2 RNA recovered from paired saliva samples and nasal and throat swab specimens from 14 patients with coronavirus disease, United Kingdom, 2020. Viral loads are shown on a logarithmic scale. NS, not significant; NT, nasal and throat; SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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