Saliva swab beats nasal test in accuracy, consistency for COVID-19: Study

NEW HAVEN, Connecticut (WPVI) -- A new Yale university study says saliva samples are better than the deep nasal swabs in testing for the coronavirus.

In tests with patients and hospital workers, saliva taken from just inside the mouth gave more accurate and consistent results, compared to the widely-used nasal swabs.

The nasopharyngeal swabbing is uncomfortable, causing some to flinch.

During that time, swabs may not make sufficient contact to collect a sufficient sample.

The saliva swab test is less invasive, and can be taken reliably by patients themselves.

The FDA recently OK'd a self-administered saliva test developed in a biotech startup at Rutgers University Center for Diagnostic Research (RUDCR) Infinite Biologics.