Early in the pandemic, it became clear that testing for COVID-19 might be key to controlling outbreaks. But the existing tests have presented logistical challenges. Health officials have been clamoring for a cheaper, easier, and quicker test that would boost the country’s testing capability, which is needed to paint a more accurate picture of the virus’s spread. Patients who test positive could be notified sooner. And quicker implementation of measures to prevent the spread, such as quarantines, could slow transmission rates.
Early research has suggested that a saliva test may be a step in the right direction—and now the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency use authorization (EUA) to SalivaDirect, a diagnostic test method created by Yale researchers. (The laboratory development and validation of SalivaDirect was performed by Chantal Vogels, PhD, a Yale School of Public Health postdoctoral fellow, and Doug Brackney, PhD, adjunct assistant clinical professor.)
One of the benefits of SalivaDirect is its simple design. Basically, a patient spits into any sterilized container—a special vial is not needed—and hands the sample over to a medical professional. The sample is then sent to a lab for processing.
