Alex Trelinski
SCIENTISTS at Murcia University(UMU) have found evidence that a saliva test can detect severe cases of COVID-19.
The inexpensive and easy test has been successfully tried out on a small scale and will now be extended to a wider sample of people.
The findings have been published in the ‘Environmental Research & Public Health Journal’.
The saliva test essentially measures ferritin levels to determine whether anybody has the coronavirus.
Head of Interlab-UMU, Professor Jose Joaquin Ceron, said: “Ferritin is a marker that indicates whether the immune system has been severely hit by COVID-19,”
“We have carried out a pilot test where we observed that patients with severe cases of COVID-19 had higher ferritin values,” added Ceron.
The professor also believes that similar test results can be achieved like those for nasal swabs.
Another advantage of the saliva test is that can be done without any trained personnel to administer it and avoids the inconvenience of swabbing.
The UMU team is also looking into whether the severe COVID-19 cases can be detected even before any symptoms appear.
READ MORE:
- LATEST: Everything you need to know about updated COVID rules for travel between Spain and the UK
- COVID latest: Spain upholds compulsory face mask rule in outdoor public spaces
- Go ahead for final phase clinical trials of Spain’s own COVID-19 vaccine
