Saliva-based Covid testing developed at Valencia research institute

Cheaper, easier non-invasive testing is ideal for use in children and in mass screening programs

The Príncipe Felipe Research Centre (CIPF) based in Valencia reports that it has developed a reliable, affordable and non-invasive method of detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus in saliva, allowing the presence of the virus to be confirmed at a very early stage and in small quantities.

The CIPF is fully accredited by the Carlos III health institute in Madrid to perform PCR diagnosis testing in order to support the efforts of the regional health service of Valencia, and a team of specialists has been working for months on establishing techniques which are less invasive (and less uncomfortable for patients) than the nasal-pharyngeal swabs which are generally used. Some saliva testing techniques have already been given emergency approval by the FDA in the USA, including the "SalivaDirect" technique developed at the University of Yale, while the method has been the subject of study at numerous European research centres.

Apart from the advantages of saliva testing mentioned above, it is also worth pointing out that it necessitates less physical interaction between healthcare professionals and patients: those being tested can extract their own saliva sample and deliver it at their local health centre in a sealed container, and this represents a considerable improvement in the effectiveness of test and trace programs. The upshot of all of these characteristics is that the technique makes it possible to test more people in a shorter period of time, thus increasing the chances of preventing further contagion.

Doctor Deborah Burks of the CIPF explains that due to it being less uncomfortable for patients the method is particularly useful for testing children and can be adapted for mass screening programs.