Saliva Testing for Diagnosing COVID-19

摘要

Studies suggest that saliva testing is as sensitive as nasopharyngeai swab testing in high-risk populations. For diagnosing COVID-19, saliva sampling has two big advantages over nasopharyngeai (NP) swabbing: It is far less uncomfortable for patients, and it eliminates risky exposures for healthcare personnel who are collecting specimens. Small studies have suggested saliva tests have acceptable performance characteristics; now, larger studies are becoming available.