Yale's Covid-19 saliva test, used on NBA players, gets USFDA nod for emergencies

The US Food and Drug Administration on Saturday granted emergency use authorisation to Yale School of Public Health's saliva test to detect Covid-19, after a trial on National Basketball Association players and staff.

SalivaDirect, the fifth saliva test approved by the FDA for the disease, requires no swab or collection device and uses spit from people suspected of having the coronavirus, the agency said.

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FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn called the test "groundbreaking" in its efficiency and in being unaffected by crucial component shortages.

SalivaDirect is seen as a cheap, simpler and less invasive testing method that requires no extraction of nucleic acid and can use several readily available reagents.

The NBA has used the test in a program involving asymptomatic players, coaches and staff from various teams, after partnering with Yale in June, the school said in a separate statement.

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"We simplified the test so that it only costs a couple of dollars for reagents, and we expect that labs will only charge about $10 per sample," Nathan Grubaugh, assistant professor at Yale School of Public Health said.

The FDA said the test could lower the risk to healthcare workers from collecting samples as it is self-collected under the observation of a healthcare professional.