ABSTRACT
Genomic surveillance has been applied since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic to track the spread of virus, leading to characterization of multiple SARS-CoV-2 variants, including Variants of Concern (VOC). Although sequencing is the standard method, rapid molecular test for screening and surveillance of VOC is considered for detection. Furthermore, using alternative saliva as specimen collection, facilitates the implementation of a less invasive, self-collected sample. In this study, we applied a combinatory strategy of saliva collection and RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 VOC detection. Saliva samples from patients attending at a tertiary hospital with suspected COVID-19 were collected and SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected using SARS-CoV-2 RT-qPCR reagent kit (PerkinElmer). Positive saliva samples were screened for SARS-CoV-2 VOC with previously described RT-PCR for Alpha, Beta and Gamma variants. Saliva samples were positive in 171 (53%) of 324 tested. A total of 108 (74%) from positive samples were also positive for VOC by RT-PCR screening. Those samples were found between January and August 2021. This approach allowed us to successfully use an alternative and complementary tool to genomic surveillance to monitoring the circulation of SARS-CoV-2 VOC in the studied population.
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