Researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison have developed an experimental saliva test for COVID-19 that could be faster, easier, and less expensive than the nasal swab test most testing sites are using now, according to a report from the Wisconsin State Journal.
The saliva test involves spitting into a tube and test results can be produced in a matter of hours. The test has had a trial run on volunteers at three UW sites and a local elementary school. Scientists from UW–Madison’s AIDS Vaccine Research Laboratory are studying whether the test can be administered frequently and efficiently. It has not been approved for clinical diagnosis.
