Update: Another saliva test developed in Israel. Cheaper and faster than even the Yale test. Takes less than a second to get the result. Each test could cost 25cents and the spectral analyzer is about $200. Machine learning is used to determine the result and with hundreds of test, the accuracy is 95%.
A newly developed saliva test aims to determine in less than a second whether or not you are infected with the novel coronavirus, Israel's largest medical centre said on Thursday.
Patients rinse their mouth with a saline wash and spit into a vial. This is then examined by a small spectral device that, in simple terms, shines light on the specimen and analyses the reaction to see if it is consistent with COVID-19.
With machine learning it gets more accurate over time. Eli Schwartz of the Center for Geographic Medicine and Tropical Diseases at Sheba Medical Center, who is leading the trial, said it was easier to use than PCR swabs commonly used to detect COVID-19.
Original:
This is Andy Slavitt’s tweet thread. Yale developed the protocol (with NBA funding) and is going to “open source” the protocol to labs that are interested. Most labs should be able to perform the test.
At $4 per test, this can be used to test a person two times per day at 99% accuracy. Typical tests today are about $100. Sports leagues, companies can test their employees everyday.
This is the FDA article
SalivaDirect does not require any special type of swab or collection device; a saliva sample can be collected in any sterile container. This test is also unique because it does not require a separate nucleic acid extraction step. This is significant because the extraction kits used for this step in other tests have been prone to shortages in the past. Being able to perform a test without these kits enhances the capacity for increased testing, while reducing the strain on available resources. Additionally, the SalivaDirect methodology has been validated and authorized for use with different combinations of commonly used reagents and instruments, meaning the test could be used broadly in most high-complexity labs.
Yale intends to provide the SalivaDirect protocol to interested laboratories as an “open source” protocol, meaning that designated laboratories could follow the protocol to obtain the required components and perform the test in their lab according to Yale’s instructions for use. Because this test does not rely on any proprietary equipment from Yale and can use a variety of commercially available testing components, it can be assembled and used in high-complexity labs throughout the country, provided they comply with the conditions of authorization in the EUA.
