The Associated Press: FDA clears first saliva test to diagnose coronavirus

The new approach could help expand options to test for COVID-19.

Blue preservation solution is shown at Spectrum DNA in Draper, Utah, on April 3, 2020. 
The company has developed a test kit to detect the coronavirus in patients’ saliva.Rick Bowmer / AP

Rutgers University researchers have received U.S. government clearance for the first saliva test to help diagnose COVID-19, a new approach that could help expand testing options and reduce risks of infection for health care workers.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the test under its emergency powers to quickly clear new tests and therapies to fight the outbreak, the New Jersey university said Monday. The test initially will be available through hospitals and clinics affiliated with the school. The announcement comes as communities across the U.S. continue to struggle with testing to help track and contain the coronavirus.

Source: nbcnews.com