SINGAPORE - The use of saliva to test for Covid-19 is being considered by the health authorities here, as Singapore ramps up its testing capacity.
Saliva testing is already being administered in places such as Hong Kong, Japan and the US as it is non-invasive and less uncomfortable compared with nasal swab tests. Associate Professor Hsu Li Yang, programme leader of infectious diseases and co-director of global health at the National University of Singapore's Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health, said that the viral load in"pure saliva" is relatively low, whereas"secretions from the back of the throat, which includes the oropharynx and nasopharynx, generally have a higher viral load".
And while at least five nasopharyngeal swabs can be pooled together to run one PCR test - which makes testing more cost-effective - saliva tests are individually administered, he added.Depending on the testing strategy and the population targeted for testing, administering saliva tests could reduce bottlenecks at mass testing centres as it would require fewer supervisors who need not be medically trained for swabbing, said Prof Hsu.
As research continues in this area, Singapore-based molecular diagnostics company Lucence, and the Agency for Science, Technology and Research have come up with a saliva collection kit, known as Safer-Sample.
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