SOME SAY IT’S MUCH EASIER THAN
THE SWAB TEST.
ACROSS THE COUNTRY, SCHOOLS
REVERSING THEIR DECISION TO HOLD
IN-PERSON CLASSES AFTER COVID-19
OUTBREAKS.
AT UNC CHAPEL HILL, CLASSES
ABRUPTLY HALTED JUST DAYS AFTER
MOVE IN.
STUDENT THERE IS NOT TESTED
BEFORE COMING BACK.
BUT AT PURDUE UNIVERSITY IN
INDIANA, AN UNPRECEDENTED
UNDERTAKING.
BEFORE ALL 40,000 STUDENTS START
CLASSES THIS MONTH, THEY’RE
REQUIRED TO TAKE A COVID TEST.
>> TESTING WILL BE VERY, VERY
IMPORTANT AND WILL BE A KEY
ELEMENT OF PROTECTING OUR
COLLEGE CAMPUS.
>> Reporter: BUT UNLIKE MOST
COVID TESTING THAT INVOLVES A
LARGE, OFTEN UNCOMFORTABLE SWAB,
TO GET A SAMPLE FROM THE BACK OF
THE NOSE, PURDUE STUDENT WILLS
JUST SPIT INTO THIS TINY TUBE.
SOMETHING THEY CAN DO WITH THIS
KIT.
>> THE CONVENIENCE OF THAT AND
SO I THINK PARTICULARLY FOR THIS
GENERATION OF STUDENTS, THERE’S
A GOOD ONE THAT ALLOWED US TO
REACH THEM WHERE THEY WERE.
>> Reporter: PURDUE IS ONE OF 65
SCHOOLS WORKING WITH WALT
HEALTH, FORMERLY A MEN’S HEALTH
COMPANY NOW OFFERING THIS
AT-HOME COVID SALIVA TEST
DEVELOPED BY RUTGERS UNIVERSITY.
IS IT A GAME CHANGER?
>> IT IS A GAME CHANGER.
FIRST OF ALL, IT’S A MUCH EASIER
TEST TO ADMINISTER.
YOU’RE SPITTING INTO A TUBE
WHICH EVERYBODY CAN DO, EVEN
KIDS.
AND YOU’RE JUST GIVING ENOUGH
SPIT TO BE ABLE TO TELL IF
THERE’S VIRUS IN THERE.
>> Reporter: I ORDERED A KIT AND
IT ARRIVED IN TWO DAYS.
WHO DO I DO?
I SET UP A VIDEO CHAT WITH A
CLINICIAN WHO MADE SURE I DID
THE TEST DIRECTLY.
I MADE SURE NOT TO EAT OR DRINK
FOR 30 MINUTES.
>> ALL YOU NEED TO DO IS SPIT.
>> Reporter: THIS IS GOING TO
TAKE AROUND.
>> I THINK THE RECORD WAS ABOUT
30 SECONDS.
>> Reporter: I WAS NOT SO
SPEEDY.
HOW MANY TIMES A DAY DO YOU HAVE
TO WATCH PEOPLE DO THIS?
>> ENOUGH.
>> Reporter: TWO MINUTES
LATER -- ANY TRICKS TO THIS?
>> YEAH.
SMELLING PICKLES IN A JAR.
SMELLING CITRUS.
>> Reporter: YOU SHOULD HAVE
TOLD ME TO BRING OUT PICKLES
SOONER.
I HAVE NOTHING.
LET ME THINK ABOUT MOUTH
WATERING FOODS.
IT’S WORKING.
IT TOOK SOME TYPE TO WORK UP A
SPOON FULL OF SALIVA.
A MIX WITH A PRESERVATIVE TO
KEEP MY SAMPLE FRESH, THEN I PUT
KNIT A PREADDRESSED BAG TO BE
OVERNIGHTED TO THE RUTGERS LAB
IN NEW JERSEY.
RESULTS ARE AVAILABLE IN TWO TO
THREE DAYS.
A BIG ADVANTAGE OVER SWAB TESTS
THAT HAVE SEEN DELAYS UP TO 14
DAYS.
THE TEST IS ONE OF TWO STRICTLY
SALIVA TESTS GIVEN EMERGENCY
AUTHORIZATION BY THE FDA.
YALE UNIVERSITY CREATED THE
OTHER ONE BUT IT’S NOT AN
AT-HOME TEST.
HOW IS THIS BETTER THAN THE
SWABS?
>> THE FALSE NEGATIVE RATE IS
WHAT WE’RE CONCERNED WITH.
TELLING SOMEBODY THAT THEY’RE
NEGATIVE WHEN ACTUALLY THEY ARE
SICK IS VERY DANGEROUS.
SO THE SALIVA TEST HAS LESS THAN
1% FALSE NEGATIVE RATE.
>> Reporter: BUT SCIENTISTS
CAUTION THERE’S NOT ENOUGH DATA
YET TO KNOW HOW MUCH VIRUS IS IN
SALIVA.
>> THEY’RE GENERALLY VERY
ACCURATE.
THEY’RE PROBABLY A LITTLE BIT
LESS SENSITIVE THAN THE NASAL
SWAB WHICH IS THE TERM USED TO
MEAN IF PEOPLE HAVE VERY, VERY
SMALL AMOUNTS OF VIRUS, IT’S
POSSIBLE THAT THE NASAL SWAB
WOULD DETECT THAT WHEREAS THE
SALIVA WOULDN’T.
>> Reporter: THE TEST IS ALSO
PRICEY.
$150 IF YOU ORDER IT DIRECTLY
FROM THE COMPANY.
RIGHT NOW VAULT IS RUNNING ABOUT
80,000 TESTS A DAY.
AS THAT NUMBER GOES UP, THE COST
WILL COME DOWN.
FOR STUDENTS LIKE 18-YEAR-OLD
CLARA TERRY WHO WILL BE A
FRESHMAN AT PURDUE, SPITTING IN
THE TUBE WAS EASY.
>> I’VE HEARD WITH THE NOSE ONE,
IT HURTS.
THIS WAS NOT PAINFUL AT ALL.
>> Reporter: NOW, EVEN THOUGH
THIS TEST IS DONE AT HOME, A KEY
PART OF VAULT’S TEST IS YOU HAVE
TO DO IT LIVE OVER A VIDEO CALL
WITH A CLINICIAN TO ENSURE
YOU’RE DOING IT CORRECTLY AND
IT’S YOUR SALIVA.
I GOT THE RESULTS OF MY TEST TWO
DAYS LATER PRP NEGATIVE.
THE PGA AND NBA ARE AMONG THE
SPORTS LEAGUES USING THESE
TESTS.
THEY’RE EASIER AND LESS
INVASIVE.
>> NO WONDER THE KIDS WANT THEM
BUT THERE’S A QUESTION OF COST.
>> IT’S $150 BUT IT IS OPEN TO
ANYONE.
SO YOU JUST HAVE TO GO ON
VAULT’S WEBSITE AND DO THAT.
>> THAT MEANS YOU DON’T HAVE TO
BE A PROFESSIONAL ATHLETE OR A
STUDENT.
YOU CAN JUST CLICK CLAK AND GET
THE TEST?
>> YES.
YOU’RE LOOKING AT 40,000
STUDENTS AT PURDUE ALONE.
THEY SAY IT’S A WORTHWHILE
INVESTMENT TO TRY TO PROTECT
THEIR STUDENTS AND STAFF.
>> IS THERE A CERTAIN TIME FRAME
LIKE THESE STUDENTS NEED A TEST
FOR A CERTAIN TIME?
>> FOR THE PURDUE STUDENTS, THEY
WANT THEM TO TAKE IT WITHIN TWO
WEEKS OF GOING ONTO CAMPUS.
BUT YOU COULD TAKE THE TEST, BE