Scientists develop method to determine COVID-19 severity by saliva

English scientists have developed a technique that allows determining at the first stages of coronavirus infection whether the disease will occur in a mild or severe form, Report informs, citing medRxiv portal.

"In a hospital setting, collecting saliva samples is more convenient for both staff and patients. Through this study, we observed for the first time that the metabolome in saliva could reflect the severity of COVID-19," the researchers note.

To test their theory, the scientists used saliva tests of 88 patients hospitalized with suspected COVID-19, as well as their clinical data. The diagnosis was confirmed by PCR tests.