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. 2022 Oct-Dec;54(4):309-313.
doi: 10.1016/j.ram.2022.05.001. Epub 2022 May 13.

Saliva screening of health care workers for SARS-CoV-2 detection

Marcela Echavarria  1 , Noelia S Reyes  2 , Pamela E Rodriguez  2 , Carmen Ricarte  2 , Martin Ypas  3 , Alejandro Seoane  3 , Marcia Querci  4 , Marianela Brizio  5 , Martin E Stryjewski  5 , Guadalupe Carballal  2
Affiliations

Saliva screening of health care workers for SARS-CoV-2 detection

Marcela Echavarria et al. Rev Argent Microbiol. 2022 Oct-Dec.

Abstract
in English, Spanish

Health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic transmission accounts for around half of the cases. Saliva testing is an option to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. To determine the performance of saliva samples for screening, HCWs were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. Those with a positive result in saliva were tested by nasopharyngeal swabbing for viral RNA detection and blood collection to search for the presence of specific antibodies. In September-October 2020, 100 HCWs were enrolled and followed up. Six subjects (6%) tested positive in saliva. Of them, 5/6 were positive in a subsequent nasopharyngeal swab and 4/6 developed signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19. Among the latter, 3 seroconverted while asymptomatic HCWs remained seronegative. Saliva screening was helpful for identifying SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs. This screening permitted rapid personnel isolation avoiding further transmission of the virus in the hospital setting.

El personal de salud (PS) tiene un alto riesgo de contraer SARS-CoV-2. La transmisión presintomática/asintomática representa alrededor de la mitad de los casos y el análisis a partir de muestras de saliva puede ser una opción para detectar la infección. Para determinar el rendimiento de estas muestras, 100 voluntarios del PS se sometieron a la detección de SARS-CoV-2 por RT-PCR en muestras de saliva en el período septiembre-octubre de 2020. De aquellos con resultado positivo en saliva, se tomaron hisopados nasofaríngeos para detectar ARN viral y muestras de suero para evaluar anticuerpos específicos. Se detectó ARN viral en la saliva de seis individuos (6%). De ellos, 5/6 fueron SARS-CoV-2 positivos en hisopado nasofaríngeo y 4/6 desarrollaron signos y síntomas compatibles con COVID-19. Entre estos últimos, tres seroconvirtieron, en tanto que los voluntarios asintomáticos permanecieron seronegativos. La muestra de saliva fue útil para identificar la infección por SARS-CoV-2 en esta cohorte del personal de salud y así proceder al rápido aislamiento de los individuos infectados, lo que evitó una mayor transmisión del virus en el ámbito hospitalario.

Keywords: Análisis; Asintomático; Asymptomatic; Health care workers; PCR; Personal de salud; SARS-CoV-2; Saliva; Screening.

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