Probably, when infected with Omicron, the virus is more concentrated in saliva than on the walls of the nasopharynx, a team of scientists from the University of Cape Town (South Africa) has established. The researchers concluded that the current standard of diagnosis using nasal or nasopharyngeal swabs may not be appropriate for Omicron. Doctors will have to adapt to the characteristics of the strain, including in matters of testing.
Scientists analyzed data from 382 patients who were tested between August and December 2021 at a Cape Town hospital. Nasopharyngeal swabs and saliva samples were collected from each subject.
It turned out that the Delta strain was found in saliva only in 71% of cases, while its presence in the nasopharynx was confirmed in 100%. For the “Omicron” variant, the results were the opposite – in smears from the nasopharynx it was found only in 86% of cases, while in saliva it was always determined.
“The pattern of virus shedding during infection is characterized for Omicron by a higher concentration in saliva compared to nasal samples, which leads to improved diagnostic performance of saliva smears,” the researchers concluded.
Scientists do not yet know exactly why this happens, but there are theories on this matter.
“The spread of the virus with microaerosols from saliva is more efficient. Probably, “Omicron” slightly changed its place of deployment in the body, due to which it became more contagious, ”suggested the head of the laboratory of the A.N. Belozersky Moscow State University. M.V. Lomonosov Roman Zinovkin.
Read more in the exclusive Izvestia article:
“Glad to spit: “Omicron” is easiest to look for in saliva”
Source: IZ
Jane Stock is a technology author, who has written for 24 Hours World. She writes about the latest in technology news and trends, and is always on the lookout for new and innovative ways to improve his audience’s experience.
