The standard method for detecting upper respiratory viruses is to perform tests on tissue sample from the back of the sinus cavity collected by inserting a long nasopharyngeal swab deep into the patient’s nostril. However, when the COVID-19 pandemic first broke out across the country, the obstacles to implementing testing using such sample collection methods on a mass scale quickly became clear. The good news is that as the pandemic drags into its ninth month, COVID-19 testing on saliva samples is starting to emerge as a workable alternative. The Diagnostic Challenge There are three things about nasopharyngeal sample collection that impair its viability as a method for broad and widespread testing during the pandemic: It is uncomfortable for patients; It must be performed by a skilled health professional using appropriate personal protective equipment; and It requires swabs and chemicals which are currently in short supply. As the pandemic spread, researchers began investigating cheaper, simpler alternatives for sample collection, including home collection kits and saliva-based tests. The Case for Saliva-Based Testing Among the nearly 200 COVID-19 diagnostic tests to receive Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), nearly a dozen may be performed on saliva samples […]