Launching a saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 surveillance testing program on a university campus
Open Access
- 26 May 2021
- journal article
- research article
- Published by Public Library of Science (PLoS) in PLOS ONE
- Vol. 16 (5), e0251296
- https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0251296
Abstract
Regular surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals for SARS-CoV-2 has been center to SARS-CoV-2 outbreak prevention on college and university campuses. Here we describe the voluntary saliva testing program instituted at the University of California, Berkeley during an early period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020. The program was administered as a research study ahead of clinical implementation, enabling us to launch surveillance testing while continuing to optimize the assay. Results of both the testing protocol itself and the study participants’ experience show how the program succeeded in providing routine, robust testing capable of contributing to outbreak prevention within a campus community and offer strategies for encouraging participation and a sense of civic responsibility.Keywords
Funding Information
- David and Lucile Packard Foundation
- Shurl and Kay Curci Foundation
- Burke Foundation
- Greater Good Science Center, University of California Berkeley
- Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research
- Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
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