Saliva collection kit for COVID-19 testing

5 screw top plastic tubes, closed pack 10 plastic bags, unopened pack of 5 non woven swabs, made by Bunzl, double sided letter from Southampton City Council about the Southampton COVID-19 Testing Programme, four page information booklet about the Southampton COVID-19 Testing Programme, and A4 sheet of stickers with address label to send samples to, three weeks' worth of sample pot labels and second bag labels, and four spare labels, all part of the Southampton Saliva Test pilot to test for COVID-19, 2020 run by University of Southampton, NHS and Southampton City Council and laterly the Hampshire & Isle of Wight Saliva Testing Programme

Filling a tube with saliva rather than using a nose and throat swab is one way of getting a sample to test for COVID-19. Swabs can be uncomfortable to use and may be off putting for those needing a test.

In a Department of Health and Social Care sponsored study, people were invited to participate the Southampton COVID-19 Saliva Testing Programme.

In the first phase, between June and July 2020, participants from two general practices in Southampton, staff and students at the University of Southampton trialled the saliva collection to see how possible a widespread test might be. It was also an opportunity to assess OptiGene’s COVID-19 RT-LAMP test. RT-LAMP testing (Reverse-transcription Loop-mediated isothermal amplification) is a is an assay that can be used for viral RNA detection. It takes around 20 minutes, compared to several hours for PCR testing and is simpler and cheaper.

The Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) in Weybridge carried out the tests. Weekly tests were carried out for four weeks and all trial participants had to register with NHS Track and Trace in case of a positive result. In the second phase, for six weeks from mid September 2020, pupils and staff from four Southampton schools took part. The team found an 80% average weekly uptake, reduced transmission of infection within schools, higher school attendance rates, when compared nationally, lower staff absence rates and examples of catching infection early.