Saliva-based methods for SARS-CoV-2 testing in low- and middle-income countries

Pooled RT-qPCR of self-collected saliva from 824 asymptomatic employees identified two SARS-CoV-2 positives; one positive was detectable only by an amplification trend without a Ct value. A survey of 471 participants revealed that most would accept regular screening only if free or low-cost, supporting pooled saliva testing as a rapid, efficient, and inexpensive method for frequent large-scale decentralised screening.

SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR testing of pooled saliva samples: A case study of 824 asymptomatic individuals and a questionnaire survey in Japan — Oba et al., PloS one · source ↗

• acceptability
• economics
• self-collection
• serology
• liquid
• saliva

A two‑tier decentralised testing strategy using self‑collected saliva pools detected SARS‑CoV‑2 with higher sensitivity than a commercial IVD RT‑qPCR test and enabled identification of asymptomatic cases at lower cost.

RT-qPCR-based tests for SARS-CoV-2 detection in pooled saliva samples for massive population screening to monitor epidemics — Różański et al., Scientific reports · source ↗

• economics
• self-collection
• serology
• liquid
• validation
• saliva

Saliva self-collection with TRIzol extraction matched nasopharyngeal swab performance for SARS-CoV-2 detection while enabling room-temperature storage without specialised tubes, offering a lower-cost decentralised option suitable for large-scale screening programmes.

Development of an alternative saliva test for diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 using TRIzol: Adapting to countries with lower incomes looking for a large-scale detection program — Miranda-Ortiz et al., PloS one · source ↗

• saliva
• liquid
• self-collection
• validation
• economics
• serology

This study validated a low-cost 3D-printed smartphone attachment and paper sensor for measuring glucose, uric acid and cholesterol in saliva, demonstrating high correlation with standard ELISA results in a small clinical cohort. The authors suggest this platform offers a scalable solution for decentralised diabetes management by balancing sensitivity with affordability.

Nanostructured zinc-coordination supraparticles on cellulose fibers: A 3D-Printed μ-FAD integrated smartphone platform for multiplexed salivary metabolic monitoring — Yang et al., Biosensors & bioelectronics (paywalled) · source ↗

• dct
• economics
• metabolome
• self-collection
• liquid
• validation
• saliva

The study found that self-collected dried saliva on FishburneTabs achieved 92% accuracy for viral RNA detection compared to standard liquid saliva samples. This method supports decentralised testing by enabling reliable sample storage and transport for upper respiratory infections.

Validation of Dried Saliva for Molecular Diagnostics — Mora et al., ACS measurement science au · source ↗

• self-collection
• dried
• serology
• validation
• saliva