Saliva sample for the massive screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection. A Systematic Review

Cañete, Martín González; Valenzuela, Isidora Mujica; Garcés, Patricia Carvajal; Massó, Isabel Castro; González, María Julieta; Providell, Sergio González

OBJECTIVES: : This systematic review aims to describe the value of saliva as a non-invasive sample for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, in comparison with the current method for sample collection, the nasopharyngeal swabs. METHODS: : We conducted a systematic review of the literature, following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) recommendations. We searched in 5 databases: PubMed, Cochrane, EBSCO, Elsevier, and MEDLINE, and included articles published between December 2019 and July 2020. RESULTS: : This review included 22 publications that met inclusion criteria, 17 of which were case series, 2 case reports, and 3 massive screenings. All articles compared saliva with nasopharyngeal swabs. The detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in saliva was similar to NPS. The sensitivity ranged between 20% and 97%, and specificity ranged between 66 and 100%. CONCLUSIONS: : This systematic review found that saliva might be an appropriate, fast, painless, simple, and non-invasive sample for SARS-CoV-2 detection, making it ideal for massive screening of SARS-CoV-2 infection.