When testing kits became available for coronavirus, the most common form had been swab tests. Yet, scientists continued to develop more efficient means of testing, especially for mass testing due to the rapid spread of the virus. In Britain, a 'no-swab' saliva test is under trial in Southampton.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said, 'Saliva testing could potentially make it even easier for people to take coronavirus tests at home, without having to use swabs.' The time it takes to conduct swab tests by medical front liners and waiting for results is reduced to about two days by the new kit.
The weekly trials in Southampton will allow health officials to 'learn if routine, at-home testing could pick u cases of the virus earlier,' said Mr. Hancock. Over 14,000 participants will be part of the initial trial, comprising mostly of health care workers and university staff, who will take the Optigene test at home.
Instead of using a cotton swab, which some people have admitted to being uncomfortable, the user will just spit into a pot. The results will then be analyzed and received within 48 hours.
One study showed that 29% of swab tests are inaccurate. They believe that the swab being pushed up the nasal and throat passages, causing people to gag, may perhaps be the reason for inaccurate results, and the process is more time-consuming.
Routine Testing
The health secretary said, 'I am very grateful to everyone involved in the trial who is helping us develop our understanding of the virus, which will benefit not only our but the global response to it.'
The test is being piloted by the Department of Health and Social Care. The regular routine testing will also help identify asymptomatic individuals. All participants will be enrolling in a test-and-trace system so that those who test positive will be contacted and asked to self-isolate.
The health department is also looking into other companies such as Chronomics, Avacta, MAP Science, and Oxford Nanoimaging (ONI). They said, 'We are also working with a number of suppliers, including DNA Genotek, International Scientific Supplies Ltd, Isohelix and other leading manufacturers, to develop bespoke saliva collection kits and scale-up manufacturing for products that can be used with existing PCR tests.'
Restore Economic Activity
An advantage of the new saliva test is that the virus is preserved better than on cotton swabs. With swab tests, the samples need to be rushed to labs and processed as soon as possible so that it won't be compromised.
Prof Keith Godfrey of the University of Southampton said: "The health, social and economic impacts of lockdown cannot be underestimated. Through this initiative, we believe we can contribute to safely restoring economic activity within the city and region during national relaxation measures, whilst enabling people to regain their lives, work, and education.'
The new type of testing looks promising as the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has given emergency authorization to saliva tests. Testing in Southampton will begin next week and will run up to a month with testing happening once a week.