NBA to help Yale researchers study a saliva-based coronavirus testing method

The National Basketball Association is set to help Yale researchers study a saliva-based COVID-19 testing method.

Yale School of Public Health researchers plan to study the efficacy of SalivaDirect, the testing method for coronavirus they developed, by testing some NBA players, coaches, and staff on teams that opted in, according to an announcement from Yale on Monday. They expect results from the study by the end of July.

As opposed to the nasopharyngeal swabbing method used to test for COVID-19, only a small sample of saliva is needed for the "non-invasive" SalivaDirect method, and it "reduces testing times by over an hour," as well as "costs less, requires minimal training, and exposes health care workers to less or no risk," the statement noted.

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"In talking to our partners at the NBA, we heard that in addition to finding less-invasive testing solutions for players and staff, there is a strong desire on their part to give back to the public and especially help low-income communities, so it became immediately clear that our interests were aligned,” Yale's Nathan Grubaugh said.

The National Basketball Players Association's chief medical officer, Joe Rogowski, said this partnership with Yale offers "the potential for players to have an alternative method of testing within the NBA campus in Orlando, but more importantly it allows them to leverage their regular testing to make a larger contribution to public health in the fight against this virus."

The researchers previously conducted a study with 44 inpatients and 98 health care workers and found that the saliva samples "provided greater detection sensitivity and consistency throughout the course of an infection" than the nasopharyngeal method, Yale says. They're aiming to have the SalivaDirect testing method approved by the FDA so it can be in use among the general public "as soon as mid-July."