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. 2022 Nov:124:11-13.
doi: 10.1016/j.ijid.2022.09.007. Epub 2022 Sep 8.

Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 circulation using saliva testing in school children in Rome, Italy

Giuseppe Sberna  1 , Rosanna Guarini  2 , Francesco Vaia  3 , Fabrizio Maggi  1 , Licia Bordi  4 ; Covid-Saliva Laboratory team
Affiliations

Monitoring of SARS-CoV-2 circulation using saliva testing in school children in Rome, Italy

Giuseppe Sberna et al. Int J Infect Dis. 2022 Nov.

Abstract

Objectives: To describe the trend of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva samples from children attending nine schools in Rome in the local surveillance unit RM3 during the period of September 2021-March 2022, in parallel with the trend of SARS-CoV-2 RNA observed in nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs) from the population in the same catchment area that was routinely tested at our laboratory in the same period.

Methods: Saliva samples were collected using the Copan LolliSpongeTM device and analyzed by Aptima® SARS-CoV-2 Assay on the Panther® System. NPSs were tested using either Aptima® SARS-CoV-2 Assay or Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 Assay.

Results: The percentage of positivity in the two populations was different; of the 2222 saliva samples from students, 0.99% had positive results, whereas the percentage was higher (33.43%) in the 8994 NPSs representing the population from local surveillance unit RM3. Interestingly, the trend of SARS-CoV-2 RNA in saliva samples from students was consistent with that observed in NPSs from the population in same catchment area, although with peaks slightly anticipated.

Conclusion: Overall, screening of saliva in the schools represents a good system to monitor SARS-CoV-2 circulation in the population, allowing early detection and quick isolation of students who are asymptomatic with positive test results and thus prevention of virus transmission.

Keywords: COVID-19 diagnosis; Molecular assay; SARS-CoV-2; Saliva samples; Surveillance.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of competing interests The authors have no competing interests to declare.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Percentage of samples with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results during the school year 2021-2022. The black line with the dots represents the percentage of saliva samples with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results from children coming from nine schools in the local surveillance unit RM3; the gray area represents the percentage of NPSs with positive SARS-CoV-2 test results analyzed in our laboratory and coming from the same local surveillance unit (RM3). NPSs, nasopharyngeal swabs.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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