Virology Unit (UNVIR-CONICET), Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas (CEMIC) University Hospital, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Virology Laboratory, Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas (CEMIC) University Hospital, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Virology Unit (UNVIR-CONICET), Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas (CEMIC) University Hospital, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Rev Argent Microbiol. 2022 Oct-Dec;54(4):309-313. doi: 10.1016/j.ram.2022.05.001. Epub 2022 May 13.
Health care workers (HCWs) are at high risk for SARS-CoV-2. In addition, pre-symptomatic or asymptomatic transmission accounts for around half of the cases. Saliva testing is an option to detect SARS-CoV-2 infection. To determine the performance of saliva samples for screening, HCWs were tested for SARS-CoV-2 by RT-PCR. Those with a positive result in saliva were tested by nasopharyngeal swabbing for viral RNA detection and blood collection to search for the presence of specific antibodies. In September-October 2020, 100 HCWs were enrolled and followed up. Six subjects (6%) tested positive in saliva. Of them, 5/6 were positive in a subsequent nasopharyngeal swab and 4/6 developed signs and symptoms compatible with COVID-19. Among the latter, 3 seroconverted while asymptomatic HCWs remained seronegative. Saliva screening was helpful for identifying SARS-CoV-2 infection in HCWs. This screening permitted rapid personnel isolation avoiding further transmission of the virus in the hospital setting.
医护人员（HCWs）感染 SARS-CoV-2 的风险较高。此外，大约有一半的病例是无症状或症状前传播。唾液检测是检测 SARS-CoV-2 感染的一种选择。为了确定唾液样本筛查的性能，对 HCWs 进行了 RT-PCR 检测 SARS-CoV-2。唾液检测阳性的患者进行鼻咽拭子检测病毒 RNA 并采集血液以寻找特异性抗体的存在。2020 年 9 月至 10 月，纳入 100 名 HCWs 并进行了随访。6 名（6%）受试者唾液检测阳性。其中，5/6 例在随后的鼻咽拭子中呈阳性，4/6 例出现与 COVID-19 相符的症状和体征。在后者中，3 例无症状患者血清转化，而无症状 HCWs 仍为血清阴性。唾液筛查有助于识别 HCWs 中的 SARS-CoV-2 感染。这种筛查可迅速对人员进行隔离，避免病毒在医院环境中进一步传播。
