A COVID-19 at-home test that relies on saliva could be as effective as a vaccine in curbing the spread of the virus, according to some experts, but companies developing the tests told The New York Times that the technology needed for such a test isn't working as anticipated.
Rapid saliva tests could significantly increase the number of people who could be tested for COVID-19. But E25Bio and OraSure, two companies that have been developing the tests, told the Times that they've abandoned efforts to make a saliva-based test and will rely on shallow nose swab tests instead.
The two companies have spent months developing saliva tests in hopes they'd be more comfortable than swabs and be less dependent on labs that have seen supply chain issues cause days- or weekslong delays. But saliva's performance has been more lackluster than anticipated, the companies said.
"If I was placing a bet — which I am, because I’m leading an antigen-based testing company — I would say it’s going to be very difficult for antigen-based testing to work on saliva samples," Bobby Brooke Herrera, PhD, CEO of E25Bio told the Times.
Stephen Tang, CEO of OraSure, said a saliva antigen test is still theoretically possible, but after comparing the amount of COVID-19 antigens found in nostrils compared to in saliva, the company has decided to "optimize around the nasal cavity," the Times reported.
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