Highlights
According to the Doctors, this study was done to establish the efficacy of the test among the Indian population, as not many studies were performed in India on this method of saliva-based testing.
Chennai: An eight month long study to determine the feasibility of the Saliva-based COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test (RAT) has revealed that the test is less expensive, faster and safer than the RT-PCR tests which are widely used in India. While saliva-based RAT are approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in the US, this test is not approved by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). However, the nasal and oral RAT are permitted in India.
Results conform to ICMR norms Saliva-based rapid antigen test (RAT) could be effective, faster and economical in the diagnosis of COVID-19, a study has found.
Chennai Dental Research Foundation (CDRF), Voluntary Health Services (VHS) and Ragas Dental College and Hospital conducted the study. The results achieved the minimum standards set by the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). It recorded a sensitivity of 56% as against the 50% required by ICMR and specificity of 100%, compared with 95% set by ICMR, according to a release.
Gunaseelan Rajan, president of CDRF, said the biggest advantage of RAT was that it was faster than RT-PCR test. “It is safe. One can take up a self-test at home or office. Our research has shown that using saliva for RAT was rapid and effective. It could be utilised for mass screening, rapid screening, and by dentists and ENT doctors as it can detect the virus in 10 minutes,” he said. He said they had written about the findings to the Centre, w
Three of the trials did not have study acronyms (only trial registration numbers) and ILBS-COVID-02 and PLACID did not have expansions in the original publications. ConCOVID indicates Convalescent Plasma as Therapy for Covid-19 Severe SARS-CoV-2 Disease; ConPlas-19, Convalescent Plasma Therapy vs SOC for the Treatment of COVID-19 in Hospitalized Patients; NA, not available; PICP19, Passive Immunization With Convalescent Plasma in Severe COVID-19 Disease; PlasmAr, Convalescent Plasma and Placebo for the Treatment of COVID-19 Severe Pneumonia; RECOVERY, Randomized Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy.
aThere was no detailed information reported regarding (1) the randomization process or (2) the concealment of randomized assignment.
bThere was no detailed information reported regarding (1) the randomization process, (2) the concealment of randomized assignment, (3) the flow of patients through the trial, and (4) possible deviations from the intended interventions due to the open-label setti