Automated molecular testing of saliva for SARS-CoV-2 detection

With surging global demand for SARS-CoV-2 testing capacity, laboratories seek automated, high-throughput molecular solutions, particularly for specimens not requiring specialized collection devices or viral transport media. Saliva specimens submitted from patients under investigation for COVID-19 from March to July 2020 were processed in the laboratory with sterile phosphate-buffered saline in a 1:2 dilution and tested using manual extraction and a commercial assay for detection of the SARS-CoV-2 E gene (LightMix (R)) in comparison to the Roche cobas (R) SARS-CoV-2 Test on the cobas (R) 6800 instrument. 34.4% (22/64) of saliva samples were positive for SARS-CoV-2. Positive and negative concordance between the LightMix (R) and cobas (R) assays were 100%. The overall invalid rate for saliva on the cobas (R) 6800 (1/128, 0.78%) was similar to the baseline invalid rate observed for nasopharyngeal swabs/viral transport media. Saliva is a feasible specimen type for SARS-CoV-2 testing on the cobas (R) 6800 platform, with potential to improve turnaround time and enhance testing capacity. (C) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.