Diagnostic Validation of Rapid Detection of the COVID-19 Causative Virus (SARS-CoV-2) in Saliva Samples by Mass Spectrometry

In order to control the COVID-19 pandemic, a policy for the diagnosis and screening of people likely to be infected with SARS-CoV-2 has been established The reference diagnostic test is RT-PCR on nasopharyngeal swab. Nasopharyngeal swabbing requires training, generates a risk of aerosolization and therefore viral transmission to the operator, and is unpleasant or even painful for the patient. RT-PCR is efficient, but time-consuming. It is therefore necessary to consider techniques that are less subject to difficulties of production and sampling, and less time-consuming. Tandem mass spectrometry on saliva samples is a promising option. A combined "mass spectrometry/saliva test" should provide faster results.