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Automated molecular testing of saliva for SARS-CoV-2 detection

2021; Elsevier BV; Volume: 100; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1016/j.diagmicrobio.2021.115324

1879-0070

Nancy Matic, Tanya Lawson, Gordon Ritchie, Aleksandra Stefanovic, Victor C. M. Leung, Sylvie Champagne, Marc G. Romney, Christopher F. Lowe,

Biosensors and Analytical Detection

With surging global demand for SARS-CoV-2 testing capacity, laboratories seek automated, high-throughput molecular solutions, particularly for specimens not requiring specialized collection devices or viral transport media. Saliva specimens submitted from patients under investigation for COVID-19 from March to July 2020 were processed in the laboratory with sterile phosphate-buffered saline in a 1:2 dilution and tested using manual extraction and a commercial assay for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 E gene (LightMix®) in comparison to the Roche cobas® SARS-CoV-2 Test on the cobas® 6800 instrument. 34.4% (22/64) of saliva samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Positive and negative concordance between the LightMix® and cobas® assays were 100%. The overall invalid rate for saliva on the cobas® 6800 (1/128, 0.78%) was similar to the baseline invalid rate observed for nasopharyngeal swabs/viral transport media. Saliva is a feasible specimen type for SARS-CoV-2 testing on the cobas® 6800 platform, with potential to improve turnaround time and enhance testing capacity.