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. 2021 Jul 15;73(Suppl 1):S65-S73.
doi: 10.1093/cid/ciab330.

Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 on Self-Collected Saliva or Anterior Nasal Specimens Compared With Healthcare Personnel-Collected Nasopharyngeal Specimens

Grace E Marx  1   2   3 , Brad J Biggerstaff  1 , Courtney C Nawrocki  1   4 , Sarah E Totten  5 , Emily A Travanty  5 , Alexis W Burakoff  5 , Tracy Scott  2 , Jesse Chavez-Van De Hey  2 , Jesse J Carlson  2 , Karen A Wendel  2   3 , Jennifer L Harcourt  6 , Azaibi Tamin  6 , Jennifer D Thomas  6 , Sarah E Rowan  2   3 ; Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment COVID-19 Laboratory Response Team; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Laboratory Response Team
Collaborators, Affiliations

Detection of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 on Self-Collected Saliva or Anterior Nasal Specimens Compared With Healthcare Personnel-Collected Nasopharyngeal Specimens

Grace E Marx et al. Clin Infect Dis. .

Abstract

Background: Nasopharyngeal specimens (NPS) are commonly used for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) testing but can be uncomfortable for patients. Self-collected saliva specimens (SS) or anterior nasal specimens (ANS) for SARS-CoV-2 detection are less invasive, but the sensitivity of these specimen types has not been thoroughly evaluated.

Methods: During September-November 2020, 730 adults undergoing SARS-CoV-2 testing at community testing events and homeless shelters in Denver provided self-collected SS and ANS before NPS collection and answered a short survey about symptoms and specimen preference. Specimens were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by means of real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR); viral culture was performed on a subset of specimens positive by rRT-PCR. The sensitivity of SS and ANS for SARS-CoV-2 detection by rRT-PCR was measured against that of NPS. Subgroup analyses included test outcomes by symptom status and culture results.

Results: Sensitivity for SARS-CoV-2 detection by rRT-PCR appeared higher for SS than for ANS (85% vs 80%) and higher among symptomatic participants than among those without symptoms (94% vs 29% for SS; 87% vs 50% for ANS). Among participants with culture-positive SARS-CoV-2 by any specimen type, the sensitivities of SS and ANS by rRT-PCR were 94% and 100%, respectively. SS and ANS were equally preferred by participants; most would undergo NPS collection again despite this method's being the least preferred.

Conclusions: SS were slightly more sensitive than ANS for SARS-CoV-2 detection with rRT-PCR. With both SS and ANS, SARS-CoV-2 was reliably detected among participants with symptoms. Self-collected SS and ANS offer practical advantages, are preferred by patients, and might be most useful for testing people with coronavirus disease 2019 symptoms.

Keywords: COVID-19; SARS-CoV-2; anterior nasal; nasopharyngeal; saliva.

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