FDA clears Yale saliva test to detect COVID-19, after test on NBA players

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization on Saturday for the Yale School of Public Health saliva test to detect COVID-19, after a trial on players and staff from the National Basketball Association (NBA), which has raised hopes that it will. game changer for the NFL season.

SalivaDirect, the fifth FDA-approved saliva test for the disease, requires no swabs or collection devices and uses sputum from people suspected of having the coronavirus, the agency said.

The NBA and the players’ union have teamed up to contribute more than $ 500,000 to the Yale research that led to the test.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted emergency use authorization on Saturday for the Yale School of Public Health saliva test to detect COVID-19, after a trial on players and staff of the National Basketball Association (NBA)

FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn called the test “revolutionary” because of its effectiveness and lack of a shortage of critical components.

“A lot of sports leagues and big organizations were like, ‘OK, we’re closed, so what can we do? We’re going to have to test our population – the players – all the time if we’re going to play again. How can we do this? Said Nathan Grubaugh, assistant professor at the Yale School of Public Health.

SalivaDirect is considered to be a cheap, simpler, and less invasive test method that does not require nucleic acid extraction and can use several readily available reagents.

The NBA used the test in a program involving asymptomatic players, coaches and staff from various teams, after partnering with Yale in June, the school said in a separate statement.

“We’ve simplified the test so that it costs just a few dollars for reagents, and we expect labs will only charge around $ 10 per sample,” Grubaugh.

NBA players and staff were tested with both a SalivaDirect test and a nasal swab test before the league returned.

Test set to be a game-changer for the general public and professional sports, including the NFL (Kansas City Chiefs practice Friday)

Testing (file image) for players and team employees would become an affordable and consistent event. It could also help fans protect themselves before and after attending the event.

When the results were compared, almost all of them matched. The nasal swab test, developed at Rutgers, can cost up to $ 150, ESPN said.

SalivaDirect test results can be returned within 24 hours.

According to Yahoo News, the test is expected to be a game-changer for the general public and professional sports, including the NFL.

Testing for players and team employees would become an affordable and cohesive event.

It could also help fans protect themselves before and after attending the event.

“There you go,” an NFL general manager told Yahoo News. “I hope this will end up being the route taken by the league!

One of the goals of the research team was to eliminate the need for expensive saliva collection tubes.

A separate study found that the virus is stable in saliva for extended periods of time at hot temperatures and that special preservatives or test tubes are not needed, Yale said.

The FDA said the test could reduce the risk for healthcare workers to collect samples because it is self-collected under the observation of a healthcare professional.