Could schools benefit from a saliva test for COVID-19?

A new study investigates the effectiveness of a saliva test for detecting COVID-19 in children, which may be helpful in the school setting.

Considering the reopening of schools, understanding and preventing COVID-19 transmission is particularly important.  At this point in time, the majority of young children are not yet vaccinated against COVID-19.^1,2

Additionally, children that contract COVID-19 often experience milder symptoms or an absence of symptoms altogether.³ As a result, COVID-19-positive children without symptoms may not know that they have it and may be more likely to spread it throughout schools or communities.^3,4  In schools, where children may not be socially distancing, effective diagnostic tools may help prevent transmission.²

One type of COVID-19 test that is used less frequently than PCR tests or antigen tests is antibody tests.  Antibody tests detect antibodies against the SARS-CoV-2 virus; this can help predict whether someone was exposed to the virus. 

Current antibody tests may be difficult to administer in a school environment, as they typically require blood samples.  For this reason, some researchers are investigating whether COVID-19 antibodies can be reliably detected in saliva; if so, this could potentially lead to the development of better COVID-19 antibody saliva tests. 

One study performed in summer schools in Barcelona, Spain, tested the effectiveness of a new COVID-19 antibody saliva test when estimating the COVID-19 transmission rates in the study group.²  The findings were published in BMC Medicine.²  

The study group consisted of 396 adults and 1509 children in 22 summer schools and 2 pre-schools in Barcelona, Spain.²  They received weekly COVID-19 saliva antibody tests from June 29, 2020, to July 31, 2020.²  The tests were evaluated in-lab to determine the presence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2.²

The study found that the saliva test was able to effectively detect antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in both children and adults.²  This new data could potentially lead to further research on detecting antibodies through a saliva test for COVID-19.

Saliva tests are easier to administer on a large scale in school settings, and they can usually be performed without a qualified healthcare professional, unlike a blood test.  More research is needed to determine whether saliva tests for COVID-19 might be a good strategy to track and prevent the spread of the virus. 

References

1. COVID-19 Vaccines Advice (2021, November 15). COVID-19 advice for the public: Getting vaccinated. World Health Organization (WHO). Accessed 2021, November 29, from https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019/covid-19-vaccines/advice
2. Dobano, C., Alonso, S., et al (2021). Antibody conversion rates to SARS-CoV-2 in saliva from children attending summer schools in Barcelona, Spain. BMC Medicine 19(309). Doi: 10.1186/s12916-021-02184-1
3. Molteni, E., Sudre, C.H., Canas, L.S., et al (2021, October 1). Illness duration and symptom profile in symptomatic UK school-aged children tested for SARS-CoV-2. The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 5(10): 708-718. Doi: 10.1016/S2352-4642(21)00198-X
4. Cruz, A.T., Zeichner, S.L. (2020). COVID-19 in Childern: Initial Characterization of the Pediatric Disease. Pediatrics 145(6): e20200834. Doi: 10.1542/peds.2020-0834
5. Image by chiplanay from Pixabay