US approves first saliva-based coronavirus test

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

ANKARA (AA) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted emergency use authorization of the first saliva-based coronavirus test as the country reported the highest virus-related deaths in the world.

The announcement was made on Monday by New Jersey-based Rutgers University.

The new saliva collection method, which was developed in partnership with Utah-based company Spectrum Solutions and Accurate Diagnostic Labs (ADL), will allow for broader population screening than the current method of nose and throat swabs, the university said in a statement.

Calling the impact of this approval significant, Andrew Brooks, the chief operating officer and director of technology development at the Rutgers Lab, said: "It means we no longer have to put health care professionals at risk for infection by performing nasopharyngeal or oropharyngeal collections."

Brooks stressed that saliva testing will help with the global shortage of swabs for sampling and increase testing of the patients.

"We can preserve precious personal protective equipment for use in patient care instead of testing," he said. "We can significantly increase the number of people tested each and every day as self-collection of saliva is more quick and scalable than swab collections."

He stressed this will have "a tremendous impact" on testing in New Jersey and across the U.S.

According to the statement, the university received an approval notification from the FDA on Saturday.

The White House's COVID-19 testing task force also called Brooks to congratulate him and ask about specific hurdles to expanding testing and enabling other laboratories to benefit from the accomplishment.

"The tests are available to the RWJBarnabas Health network, which has partnered with Rutgers University and is New Jersey's most comprehensive health care system, including Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, University Hospital in Newark and many other facilities, including several county health departments," it added.

Starting from Wednesday, the test will be available to county residents at a drive-thru testing facility at 33 Kilmer Road, Edison, New Jersey.

The U.S. has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases and fatalities worldwide now with over 582,500 cases and more than 23,600 deaths, according to the data compiled by Johns Hopkins University in Maryland.

In all, 44,308 people have recovered.

Overall, the virus has spread to 185 countries, infecting over 1.93 million people since it first emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.