The ‘SalivaDirect’ test developed by a team from the Yale School of Public Health can be a ground-breaking rapid diagnostic test for COVID-19 (Page 1, “U.S. FDA nod for rapid, inexpensive saliva test”, August 17). The news that this test is equally if not more effective than the more uncomfortable nasopharyngeal swab testing could prove to be a game-changer. This test appears to be more straightforward as it does not require a separate nucleic acid extraction step and is relatively inexpensive, in an Indian context. Also noteworthy is that the test is an ‘open source’, allowing the scientific and medical community to maximise the benefits. Hopefully, the Indian Council of Medical Research along with the Health Ministry will approve this new and innovative game-changer on a war-footing, thereby increasing the capacity and efficiency of COVID-19 testing.
Dr. Thomas Palocaren,
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Vellore, Tamil Nadu