A saliva-based COVID-19 test kit produced by iCare Diagnostics International has been granted emergency use authorization (EUA), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said on Saturday.
The test kit, under the brand iCare DX, uses a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test to detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in saliva samples, the agency said.
In September, the technology was used to confirm that a Hon Hai Precision Industry engineer had become infected, it added.
The kit manufacturer, which was founded by Hon Hai founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), had provided free test kits to the chipmaker’s employees, and the product corroborated a positive result when other test results were ambiguous, it said.
The test kit’s use of PCR technology sets it apart from swab-based rapid field tests, said Lin Hsin-hui (林欣慧), a specialist in the FDA’s Medical Devices and Cosmetics Division.
Regulators from foreign governments have approved other PCR test kits that test saliva samples, she said.
While the saliva swab does not need to be performed by a medical professional, making the test’s deployment more convenient, medical personnel are needed to process and interpret the test results, she said.
The FDA has not approved a saliva-based rapid testing kit for household use, she said, adding that people should not buy products not meant for them to use.
Shih Shin-ru (施信如), head of Chang Gung University’s Research Center for Emerging Viral Infections, said controlled tests by his team showed that the kits are as accurate as swab-based PCR tests.
The kits reduce the risk of virus exposure to medical staff and the public because medical workers do not need to administer the swabs and the kits can be distributed to people in quarantine, he said.
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