Scientists at George Mason University are working to develop an easy-to-administer COVID-19 antibody test, which could mean using a simple swab in the mouth for saliva.
Dr. Lance Liotta works for the Applied Proteomics and Molecular Medicine Center at GMU. He said they’ve been working on saliva testing for many years and already had a collection device that would work.
“We thought let’s apply our expertise on that topic to that new challenge,” Liotta said.
To use it, you put the swab inside of the mouth and rub it around the cheeks and the gum. You hold it under the tongue and then when it changes color that’s when you know enough saliva was collected, Liotta said.
Once the diagnostic technology is developed the next stop is another specialized lab for patient testing on volunteers.
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