Saliva test: An alternative to nasal swab test for COVID-19 detection

Saliva test: An alternative to nasal swab test for COVID-19 detection

A person's saliva can now be used as an alternative to the nasopharyngeal swab for COVID-19 screening.The use of saliva could exponentially widen the testing network for COVID-19, simplify community testing, and reduce the risk to frontline healthcare professionals. The saliva specimen was self-collected into sterile containers by the patients without requiring the presence of a healthcare professional and did not require the use of preservative transport media while in transit to the laboratory.The study regarding the same has been completed by the researchers from the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) in terms of a significant contribution towards the fight against Covid-19.The study, a first in the UAE and the MENA region, was a close collaborative effort between the public and private sectors and academia.