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The French national health authority has approved the Covid saliva tests for use on people without symptoms, paving the way for wider testing of students in schools and universities.
Health Minister Olivier Véran had said that once approved, the tests would be deployed in schools and universities, because they are less invasive than nasal swabs, and can therefore be more easily used on children.
The High Authority for Health (HAS) released its assessment on Thursday, saying saliva tests, which it had already approved for people with symptoms, could be used in large-scale tests for targeted populations, such as schools, universities or nursing homes.
Saliva tests can be done in labs or with self-test kits to be returned to a lab or testing center no later than five hours later.
This means that the tests can be performed without the presence of a healthcare professional, although the samples will still need to be sent to laboratories for analysis and the results will not be shorter than nasal swabs.
There are concerns about the roll-out of testing in schools and the lack of nurses and school doctors to help children, especially younger ones, who may not be able to spit, and will need to have saliva drawn. under the tongue with a dropper.
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