Dubai families can now opt for the newly-approved COVID-19 saliva tests for their children to get checked and tested for the virus.
Facilities and screening centres headed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) have recently adopted the new test for young children and teenagers with an age range of three to 16 years old.
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“For children, in particular, it is highly beneficial as it eliminates the discomfort associated with a nasal swab test, which means children will be at ease and find the test comfortable,” said Dr Farida Al Khaja, chief executive of DHA’s clinical support services and nursing division.
Each test will be charged AED 150, similar to costs for each nose swab test for adults. Results will be available within 24 hours.
The new test comes from a comprehensive study spearheaded by the Mohammed Bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences (MBRU) and the DHA that highlights the accuracy of the test for kids.
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Studies revealed that saliva samples for viral detection have 87.7 sensitivity and 98.5 percent specificity. Positivep predicitive values were at 92.2 percent while the negative predictive values were at 97.6 percent, there by proving that children’s saliva can be used as a reliable diagnostic specimen.
The study received approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee at the DHA and has been submitted for peer-review publication.
