Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34287935›Full record

Observational studyThe Medical journal of Australia2021

Adding saliva testing to oropharyngeal and deep nasal swab testing increases PCR detection of SARS-CoV-2 in primary care and children.

Jane Oliver, Shidan Tosif, Lai-Yang Lee, Anna-Maria Costa, Chelsea Bartel, Katherine Last, Vanessa Clifford, Andrew Daley, Nicole Allard, Catherine Orr and 10 more

Open access · hybridAbstract readComparative StudyMulticenter StudyObservational Study
In one paragraph

Observational study in The Medical journal of Australia, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
5citing papers in PubMed
0.6field-weighted citation impact, top 30% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

5 citing papers in PubMed, 9 citations in OpenAlex.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

20 authors at 6 institutions in 1 country.

Jane OliverThe Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.ORCID 0000-0001-5548-7512
Shidan TosifThe Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.ORCID 0000-0003-0022-1009
Lai-Yang LeeThe Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
Anna-Maria CostaThe Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
Chelsea BartelThe Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
Katherine LastThe Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
Vanessa CliffordThe Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
Andrew DaleyThe Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
Nicole AllardThe Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Catherine Orrcohealth, Melbourne, VIC.ORCID 0000-0001-9465-941X
Ashley Nindcohealth, Melbourne, VIC.
Karyn AlexanderMelbourne Medical School, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Niamh MeagherThe University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Michelle SaitPublic Health Laboratory, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Susan A BallardPublic Health Laboratory, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Eloise WilliamsRoyal Melbourne Hospital, Melbourne, VIC.
Katherine BondVictorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory, Melbourne Health, Melbourne, VIC.
Deborah A WilliamsonPublic Health Laboratory, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.ORCID 0000-0001-7363-6665
Nigel W CrawfordSurveillance of Adverse Events Following Vaccination in the Community (SAEFVIC), Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Melbourne, VIC.
Katherine B GibneyThe Peter Doherty Institute for Infection and Immunity, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC.
Royal Children's Hospital · AUThe University of Melbourne · AUThe Royal Melbourne Hospital · AUVictorian Health Promotion Foundation · AUMurdoch Children's Research Institute · AUVictorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory · AU

Funding

Isabel & John Gilbertson Charitable Trust
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo compare the concordance and acceptability of saliva testing with standard-of-care oropharyngeal and bilateral deep nasal swab testing for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) in children and in general practice.

designProspective multicentre diagnostic validation study.

settingRoyal Children's Hospital, and two general practices (cohealth, West Melbourne; Cirqit Health, Altona North) in Melbourne, July-October 2020.

participants1050 people who provided paired saliva and oropharyngeal-nasal swabs for SARS-CoV-2 testing.

main outcome measuresNumbers of cases in which SARS-CoV-2 was detected in either specimen type by real-time polymerase chain reaction; concordance of results for paired specimens; positive percent agreement (PPA) for virus detection, by specimen type.

resultsSARS-CoV-2 was detected in 54 of 1050 people with assessable specimens (5%), including 19 cases (35%) in which both specimens were positive. The overall PPA was 72% (95% CI, 58-84%) for saliva and 63% (95% CI, 49-76%) for oropharyngeal-nasal swabs. For the 35 positive specimens from people aged 10 years or more, PPA was 86% (95% CI, 70-95%) for saliva and 63% (95% CI, 45-79%) for oropharyngeal-nasal swabs. Adding saliva testing to standard-of-care oropharyngeal-nasal swab testing increased overall case detection by 59% (95% CI, 29-95%). Providing saliva was preferred to an oropharyngeal-nasal swab by most participants (75%), including 141 of 153 children under 10 years of age (92%).

conclusionIn children over 10 years of age and adults, saliva testing alone may be suitable for SARS-CoV-2 detection, while for children under 10, saliva testing may be suitable as an adjunct to oropharyngeal-nasal swab testing for increasing case detection.

Indexed as

AdolescentAdultAgedAge FactorsChildChild, PreschoolCOVID-19COVID-19 Nucleic Acid TestingFemaleHumansInfantMaleMiddle AgedNasopharynxOropharynxProspective StudiesRNA, ViralChild healthCOVID-19DiagnosisGeneral practiceInfectious diseasesPublic healthRespiratory tract infections

Identifiers

PMID34287935
PMCPMC8447377
OpenAlexW3186788146

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC-ND
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.