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The great advantage of the saliva sample may be that it does not require personal contact or professional staff – emphasizes Gábor Varga, head of the Department of Oral Biology on the Semmelweis University website. That is why the university staff also began to explore this solution.
The analysis showed that analysis of saliva samples could be an effective alternative to the nasal and pharyngeal sampling that is currently used. However, it does not matter how the samples will be stored and transported. The test is currently being adjusted.
COVID-19 patients have also been included in studies since June to compare the reliability of the SARS-CoV-2 virus of the upper respiratory tract and nose in saliva. Preliminary results show that determination of the virus from saliva is equivalent to the results of virus measurements from upper respiratory tract smears.
The research also involves university units involved in the diagnosis and care of patients with COVID-19. “If it is possible to demonstrate that the saliva sample is a suitable raw material for the detection of the virus, the next step is to develop and implement a diagnostic kit based on this in the university,” quotes Gábor Varga, the university’s website .
Prior to the current studies, the staff of the Department of Oral Biology studied over a hundred publications on this topic and analyzed 19 relevant registered clinical trials, initiated internationally. The analysis is described in Frontiers in Medicine. It was also published in a prestigious scientific journal in cooperation with the Universities of Pécs and Szeged. The analysis showed that testing a saliva sample could be an effective and promising alternative to the nose and throat sampling currently in use. However, it does not matter how the samples will be stored and transported.
What do coronavirus tests currently on the market know?
- The so-called diagnostic test shows whether the patient is infected with a coronavirus. It can be a PCR (polymerase chain reaction) test that detects viral inheritance or an antigen test that detects proteins on the surface of the virus.
- The antibody test, as the name suggests, detects the antibodies that are produced in the body in response to the virus. They often appear days to weeks after infection and can be detected in the blood for several weeks after recovery. Therefore, these tests are not used to diagnose active coronavirus infections.
| Molecular test | Antigen test | Antibody test | |
| What other names can we meet him for? | Diagnostic test, virus test, molecular test, nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), RT-PCR test, LAMP test. | Rapid diagnostic test. | Serological test, serology, blood test. |
| How is the sample taken? | With a nasal or throat swab, with a saliva test in some places. | With nasal or pharyngeal swab. | Drawing blood from the fingertip. |
| How long does it take to get the result? | Ideally, the day of sampling, most recently in 2-3 days. In a week at the latest. | You have to wait a maximum of one hour. | In 1-3 days. |
| Do I need to repeat the test? | This test is usually very accurate, but in many places two are required. | Positive results are very accurate, but negative results must be confirmed by molecular testing. | Approximately exact. |
| Shows? | Active coronavirus detects infection. | Active coronavirus detects infection. | A positive result indicates that you are currently infected with the sample tax or have previously been infected. |
| What you can’t do | To detect a previous COVID-19 infection. | To detect a previous COVID-19 infection. | Exclude coronavirus infection. |
(Cover image: Nose and throat sample taken for PCR testing. Photo: Index)
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