A new weekly testing model for COVID-19 using a new ‘no-swab’ saliva test from Optigene is being piloted in Southampton, England. The pilot is a collaborative effort of the Southampton City Council, the University of Southampton and the NHS.
In the preliminary phase of the trial, over 14,000 GP staff, other essential key workers and university staff along with their households will undergo weekly testing. The test kits will be sent either to their homes or place of work, and the samples will be collected by transferring saliva into a sample pot. Arrangements have been made for the safe collection of samples from homes or at an agreed location on a weekly basis. The pilot will be conducted for up to four weeks.
The saliva test will be a crucial step towards increasing the testing capacity and accessibility. It eliminates the need for a swab for sample collection, which is an uncomfortable experience for many. The test has demonstrated promise in early research, and the pilot seeks to further validate its utility as an alternative to nasal swabs for polymerase chain reaction.
The weekly testing schedule will help identify COVID-19 cases at an early stage, including those with no or minor symptoms, thereby enabling positive cases to isolate within their households. The new testing trial comes on top of the routine testing of asymptomatic staff already being conducted using the existing capacity.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Matt Hancock, said: "Saliva testing could potentially make it even easier for people to take coronavirus tests at home, without having to use swabs. This trial will also help us learn if routine, at-home testing could pick up cases of the virus earlier."
