Washington, D.C. – Genetic testing of saliva samples identifies the SARS-CoV-2 virus more quickly than testing of nasal swabs. The research is published March 21 in Microbiology Spectrum, a journal of the American Society for Microbiology.
“That is important because people can spread COVID-19 before they know that they have it,” said coauthor Donald K. Milton, M.D., DrPH, a professor of occupational and environmental health at the Institute for Applied Environmental Health, University of Maryland School of Public Health, College Park. “Earlier detection can reduce the disease’s spread.”
