From Health Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Dr. Virji and Aisha Al Hamiz), Public Health, Abu Dhabi Public Health Center, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Drs. Al Hajeri, Al Shehhi, Al Memari, and Ahlam Al Maskari), College of Medicine and Health Sciences, Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Department of Medicine, Sheikh Shakhbout Medical City, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (Dr. Alhajri), Public Health Research Center, New York University Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, England, and the MRC Epidemiology Unit, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, England (Dr. Ali).
Objective: The pandemic has forced closures of primary schools, resulting in loss of learning time on a global scale. In addition to face coverings, social distancing, and hand hygiene, an efficient testing method is important to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in schools. We evaluated the feasibility of a saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 polymerase chain reaction testing program among 18 primary schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Qualitative results show that children 4 to 5 years old had difficulty producing an adequate saliva specimen compared to those 6 to 12 years old.
Methods: A short training video on saliva collection beforehand helps demystify the process for students and parents alike. Informed consent was challenging yet should be done beforehand by school health nurses or other medical professionals to reassure parents and maximize participation.
Results: Telephone interviews with school administrators resulted in an 83% response rate. Overall, 93% of school administrators had a positive experience with saliva testing and felt the program improved the safety of their schools. The ongoing use of saliva testing for SARS-CoV-2 was supported by 73% of respondents.
Conclusion: On-campus saliva testing is a feasible option for primary schools to screen for COVID-19 in their student population to help keep their campuses safe and open for learning.
Keywords: COVID-19; saliva testing; mitigation; primary school.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide and continues to exhaust health care resources on a large scale.1 Efficient testing is critical to identify cases early and to help mitigate the deleterious effects of the pandemic.2 Saliva polymerase chain reaction (PCR) nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT) is more comfortable than nasopharyngeal (NP) NAAT and has been validated as a test for SARS-CoV-2.1 Although children are less susceptible to severe disease, primary schools are considered a vector for transmission and community spread.3 Efficient and scalable methods of routine testing are needed globally to help keep schools open. Saliva testing has proven a useful resource for this population.4,5