Prevalence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 in the saliva of individuals with coronavirus disease 2019: A cross-sectional study

• Main Authors: Nara Santos Araujo (Author), Diana Sofia Patrocinio Paty (Author), Carlos Brites (Author), Denis Damião Costa (Author), Sara Nunes Vaz (Author), Daniele Souza de Santana (Author), Daniel Ribeiro Araki (Author), Jean Nunes dos Santos (Author), Patricia Ramos Cury (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications, 2023-01-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Introduction: Saliva is involved in the transmission and spread of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2); however, there are conflicting data regarding the detection rate of SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva. This study aims to investigate the presence of SARS-CoV-2 in the saliva of individuals with a mild form of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Materials and methods: A sample of 110 participants who showed flu-like symptoms for 3 to 7 days and tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 after rapid antigen testing of nasopharyngeal swabs were included. Immediately after testing positive for COVID-19, the participants were asked to spit 1.5 mL saliva sample into sterile collectors. Salivary samples were homogenized and diluted, and viral nucleic acid was extracted and amplified by real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction assays (qRT-PCR genes N1 and N2). A Ct value <40 was defined as a positive result. Results: The N1 and N2 genes were amplified in 98.2% of the participants. In one case (0.9%), only the N2 gene was amplified, and there was no amplification in another case. The virus load was high (Ct ≤ 25) in 9.3% of the participants, moderate (Ct between 25 and 30) in 31.5%, and low (Ct between 30 and 40) in 60.2%. Conclusion: SARS-CoV-2 was present in the saliva of most individuals with mild COVID-19, with majority having a low salivary concentration of the virus. Dental care should be postponed during the COVID-19 outbreak. For urgent treatment, infection prevention measures should be adopted.

Item Description

0975-8844
10.4103/jofs.jofs_125_23