FDA authorizes emergency use of COVID-19 saliva test

WASHINGTON, D.C. (NBC) – Federal health officials have authorized the emergency use of a coronavirus saliva test.

Yale School of Public Health developed the test, which does not use the chemical reagents that are used in the standard nasal swab diagnostic test.

The test, known as SalivaDirect, is currently being used on NBC players and staff.

The researchers plan to make the protocol available to other labs across the country and expect the charge will be about $10 per sample.

Yale has said the accuracy of the results was similar to that of nasal swab tests, but they have yet to be peer-reviewed.