Best Test for COVID-19: Spit Sample or Nasal Swab?

Best Test for COVID-19: Spit Sample or Nasal Swab?
A medical staff member takes nasal swab samples at a drive-through COVID-19 testing point in Zagreb, Croatia, on April 1, 2020. Denis Lovrovic/AFP via Getty Images
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Saliva samples are a “preferable” indicator for COVID-19 infection than the deep nasal swabs now widely used, according to a new study.

The study, conducted with 44 inpatients and 98 health care workers, found that saliva samples taken from just inside the mouth provide greater detection sensitivity and consistency throughout the course of infection than the broadly recommended nasopharyngeal (NP) approach.

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