PCR Saliva Tests (SalivaDirect™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR )

[Tahoemom]

Anyone had success in using the SalivaDirect™ SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR test for the pre board requirement in the US? (Departing out of Seattle). I’ve asked the RC customer service team and even provided an example of the test results, which are performed at a testing location and sent to a lab, but no response from RC so far. TIA!

[twangster]

At some point I thought I recall seeing only nasal swab tests are permitted, saliva ruled out.  However that was a few months ago and I haven't kept up on testing protocols.  

[Tahoemom]

It’s a bit confusing as the website doesn’t specify:

 

Accepted Tests for Guests Sailing from North America (U.S., Puerto Rico, Canada)

Below are details about which tests are accepted to board the ship. The type of test you need for your cruise, as well as the testing window, can vary depending on your vaccination status. If you are unclear on test requirements your for your cruise, visit our main COVID-19 testing FAQ to learn more.

Accepted Types of Tests and Results

• There are two common types of diagnostic COVID-19 tests 
  • A molecular test, also called a PCR test or NAAT test – our testing requirements call this a “PCR test”
  • An antigen test, also called a rapid antigen test – our testing requirements call this an “antigen test"
• The test must be supervised by a health professional, such as a doctor, pharmacy technician, public health worker, or telehealth professional. Telehealth testing at home is only accepted for vaccinated guests, and only when it is conducted under live video supervision. Learn more about acceptable telehealth tests including our home test kit.
• You must receive a valid results document from your test provider that includes the name of the lab that processed the test, the lab’s CLIA Lab Number or Certification Number, the address of the lab, your name, the date the test was taken, type of test, and your negative result. This can be a printed document, email, or telehealth app notification. Fully handwritten doctor’s notes (such as those written on a prescription pad) will not be accepted. Minimal handwritten components (such as a check mark on a “negative” box) are acceptable as long as the other required information is printed on the document. 

Tests We Do Not Accept

• Antibody tests are not accepted, as they do not detect a current infection.
• Home test kits that are self-administered at home, and not supervised live by a telehealth professional, are also not accepted.
• Supervised telehealth tests are not accepted for unvaccinated guests – only for vaccinated guests.

[smokeybandit]

Saliva PCR tests weren't trusted early on, but I think we're long past the point of that type being frowned upon

[AshleyDillo]

31 minutes ago, Tahoemom said:

It’s a bit confusing as the website doesn’t specify:

I'm pretty sure it used to specify they weren't accepted. If they've intentionally changed it, likely it exists in some form of communication that Royal missed making the change on that will pop up somewhere once you've convinced yourself it will be accepted  

But it's on the port workers looking at the test results and what they were trained to look for. Most of them are looking for the test type (PCR/antigen) the results (negative) and the date the test was taken.  

[Moby Dick]

The example shows a CLIA number and it says it it is a PCR test.  I don't remember reading anywhere on Royal's site that says it has to be a nasal swab.  So, my guess is, it's good.

[twangster]

It was the first version of the CSO during the initial restart when saliva based tests wasn't allowed.  Fortunately this no longer applies.  

• Specimens must be collected via nasopharyngeal (NP) swab. At this point in time, CDC Maritime Unit does not permit specimens collected from saliva, the anterior nares, the nasal mid-turbinate, or the oropharynx.

[Moby Dick]

47 minutes ago, twangster said:

It was the first version of the CSO during the initial restart when saliva based tests wasn't allowed.  Fortunately this no longer applies.  

• Specimens must be collected via nasopharyngeal (NP) swab. At this point in time, CDC Maritime Unit does not permit specimens collected from saliva, the anterior nares, the nasal mid-turbinate, or the oropharynx.

Where did you get that?  

Edited In:  Never mind.  

[Tahoemom]

2 hours ago, AshleyDillo said:

I'm pretty sure it used to specify they weren't accepted. If they've intentionally changed it, likely it exists in some form of communication that Royal missed making the change on that will pop up somewhere once you've convinced yourself it will be accepted  

 

Ha! That’s exactly what I’m afraid of!
 

I know the simple answer would be to just go get the nasal swab test, but the saliva test is 10 minutes away from me whereas we would have to drive an hour plus for a nasal swab test. Decisions Decisions…

[Moby Dick]

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7836249/

 

Findings

From our hospital cohort, we show a high positive agreement (94%) between saliva tested with SalivaDirect and nasopharyngeal swabs tested with a commercial qRT-PCR kit. In partnership with the National Basketball Association (NBA) and National Basketball Players Association (NBPA), we tested 3,779 saliva specimens from healthy individuals and detected low rates of invalid (0.3%) and false-positive (<0.05%) results.

Conclusions

We demonstrate that saliva is a valid alternative to swabs for SARS-CoV-2 screening and that SalivaDirect can make large-scale testing more accessible and affordable. Uniquely, we can designate other laboratories to use our sensitive, flexible, and simplified platform under our EUA (https://publichealth.yale.edu/salivadirect/).

[SPS]

10 hours ago, Tahoemom said:

I’ve asked the RC customer service team and even provided an example of the test results, which are performed at a testing location and sent to a lab, but no response from RC so far.

FYI: You might be able to get a faster response to your questions by using Royal Caribbean's social media platforms. I tend to get faster responses from RC through Direct Messages on twitter and many here also get good responses by using Facebook.

[Tahoemom]

5 hours ago, SPS said:

FYI: You might be able to get a faster response to your questions by using Royal Caribbean's social media platforms. I tend to get faster responses from RC through Direct Messages on twitter and many here also get good responses by using Facebook.

Thank you!  I did reach out to the travel agent that helped us book and her feedback was: Royal Caribbean advises that either the nasal or saliva test is acceptable as long as it is an "antigen" or "PCR" test. 

Whew!  I will probably do the social media post as well just to cover our bases.

[Tahoemom]

Update:  I did get a response from RC via a question posted on Facebook:

"...yes a saliva PCR will work. There are no limitations as long as antigen or PCR for vaccinated guests."