Use of Saliva-PCR as an alternative diagnostic tool for COVID-19 positive cases.

Abstract

Objective: To find the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva and oropharyngeal secretions in confirmed cases of COVID 19 to establish them as potential diagnostic alternatives. Study Design: Cross Sectional study. Setting: Hayatabad Medical Complex and Public Reference Lab of Khyber Medical University, Peshawar. Period: April 2022 to September 2022. Material & Methods: Study included SARS-CoV-2 patients confirmed by a positive RT-qPCR diagnosed through nasopharyngeal swab. Data was collected using a digital questionnaire. Saliva was collected using "passive drool" procedure. RNA was extracted from saliva samples and virus was detected through one-step-RT-qPCR using Universal qPCR Master Mix. The data obtained was presented using graphical representation in the form of proportions. Results: The study included 211 individuals with a wide range from 12 to 75 years. There were 146 (69%) males and 65 (31%) females.17% reported being hospitalized or received medical treatment recently. Only six individuals reported regular use of medications for hypertension and diabetes. 30% of participants reported a positive response when asked about their pervious respiratory allergic conditions. Results showed that out of 211 participants 75 (36%) were positive for COVID-19 using saliva-PCR, while the remaining 136 (64%) were negative. The findings showed that saliva-PCR had lower sensitivity than nasopharyngeal-PCR in detecting COVID-19. Conclusion: The results of saliva-PCR diagnosis showed lower sensitivity than nasopharyngeal-PCR in detecting COVID-19. Additional research is required to substantiate the effectiveness of PCR using saliva as an alternative diagnostic option.