Saliva COVID Test Alternative to Deep Nasal Swab

By Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter MONDAY, April 27, 2020 (HealthDay News) -- Testing for the COVID-19 coronavirus can be an unpleasant affair, with a doctor or nurse shoving a cotton swab deep into your nasal cavity to get a good sample.

According to a Yale study, a new saliva based test yields just as accurate results to the more widely used, and painful, nasal swab test for Covid-19. The new form of testing was granted emergency use authorization on April 13 by the FDA, with the understanding that the test must be conducted in a health care setting under supervision of a qualified professional. Advantages to saliva testing include health care workers needing less protective equipment while administering these tests, in addition to the tests themselves requiring fewer materials and being easier to produce. Researchers who worked on the Yale study believe saliva testing will become more popular, and even might become the standard for Covid-19 testing.