Hock-a-loogie saliva as a diagnostic specimen for SARS-CoV-2 by a PCR-based assay: A diagnostic validity study

Jian Fan; Fei Yu; Xiang Wang; Qianda Zou; Bin Lou; Guoliang Xie; Xianzhi Yang; Weizhen Chen; Qi Wang; Dan Zhang; Ruonan Wang; Baihuan Feng; Yuejiao Dong; Li Huang; Yun Teng; Zhenzhen Deng; Ling Yu; Kaijin Xu; Jifang Sheng; Shufa Zheng; Yu Chen

doi:10.1016/j.cca.2020.10.004

Hock-a-loogie saliva as a diagnostic specimen for SARS-CoV-2 by a PCR-based assay: A diagnostic validity study

Clin Chim Acta. 2020 Dec:511:177-180. doi: 10.1016/j.cca.2020.10.004. Epub 2020 Oct 15.

Authors

Jian Fan¹, Fei Yu², Xiang Wang³, Qianda Zou⁴, Bin Lou¹, Guoliang Xie¹, Xianzhi Yang¹, Weizhen Chen¹, Qi Wang⁵, Dan Zhang¹, Ruonan Wang¹, Baihuan Feng⁶, Yuejiao Dong¹, Li Huang¹, Yun Teng¹, Zhenzhen Deng¹, Ling Yu⁷, Kaijin Xu⁷, Jifang Sheng⁷, Shufa Zheng⁸, Yu Chen⁹

Affiliations

¹ Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, PR China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China.
² Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, PR China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China. Electronic address: yufei2013@aliyun.com.
³ Key Laboratory for Translational Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital, Huzhou University, the First People's Hospital of Huzhou, Huzhou, PR China.
⁴ Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, PR China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China. Electronic address: 21618016@zju.edu.cn.
⁵ Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, PR China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China. Electronic address: xiongmao1127@zju.edu.cn.
⁶ Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, PR China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China. Electronic address: fengbaihuan@zju.edu.cn.
⁷ State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China.
⁸ Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, PR China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China. Electronic address: zsfzheng@zju.edu.cn.
⁹ Department of Laboratory Medicine, the First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; Key Laboratory of Clinical In Vitro Diagnostic Techniques of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, PR China; Institute of Laboratory Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China; State Key Laboratory for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, Collaborative Innovation Center for Diagnosis and Treatment of Infectious Diseases, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, PR China. Electronic address: chenyuzy@zju.edu.cn.

Abstract

To clarify the effect of different respiratory sample types on SARS-CoV-2 detection, we collected throat swabs, nasal swabs and hock-a-loogie saliva or sputum, and compared their detection rates and viral loads. The detection rates of sputum (95.65%, 22/23) and hock-a-loogie saliva (88.09%, 37/42) were significantly higher than those in throat swabs (41.54%, 27/65) and nasal swabs (72.31%, 47/65) (P < 0.001). The Ct Values of sputum, hock-a-loogie saliva and nasal swabs were significantly higher than that in throat swabs, whereas no significant difference was observed between sputum and saliva samples. Hock-a-loogie saliva are reliable sample types that can be used to detect SARS-CoV-2, and worthy of clinical promotion.

Keywords: COVID-19; Hock-a-loogie saliva; RT-PCR; SARS-CoV-2.

Publication types

Validation Study

MeSH terms

Adult
COVID-19 / diagnosis*
COVID-19 / genetics*
Female
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
Nasopharynx / virology
Polymerase Chain Reaction / methods
Polymerase Chain Reaction / standards*
Prospective Studies
SARS-CoV-2 / genetics*
SARS-CoV-2 / isolation & purification
Saliva / virology*
Specimen Handling / methods
Specimen Handling / standards*
Sputum / virology
Viral Load / methods
Viral Load / standards