Diagnostic Yield of Saliva for SARS-CoV-2 Molecular Testing in Children.

Authors :: Banerjee D
Sasidharan A
Abdulhamid A
Orosco EM
Watts JL
Schuster JE
Myers AL
Weddle G
Selvarangan R
Source :: Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society [J Pediatric Infect Dis Soc] 2021 Nov 11; Vol. 10 (10), pp. 967-969.
Publication Year :: 2021
Abstract: Pediatric saliva specimen demonstrated high sensitivity (93%) and specificity (96.2%) compared to paired nasopharyngeal swabs (NPS) by Aptima SARS-CoV-2 Assay (Aptima). Viral loads were comparable in both specimen types. Saliva is a safe, noninvasive, and acceptable alternative specimen for SARS-CoV-2 detection in children.<br /> (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)