At a time when the wait for COVID-19 test results exceeds one week in many parts of the country, researchers at the University of Colorado have developed a saliva-based test that can deliver results in 45 minutes.

“Every test that has been approved to date requires that the sample, even if it’s saliva, be processed in a clinical diagnostic lab or at a doctor’s office, using sophisticated equipment. That can take up to nine days right now,” said Sara Sawyer, a virologist who led the test’s development.

With the saliva test, a participant spits in a tube, adds a solution, and passes it off to testing staff for processing via a chemical reaction. In a manuscript explaining the process, researchers note that the discomfort of a nasal swab and the corresponding need to take specimens to laboratories with specialized equipment are a hindrance to rapid testing.

“The longer it takes for people to receive their results, the more time goes by where they might unwittingly infect others,” the researchers wrote. “Rapid turnaround time has previously been identified as critical in the diagnosis of other respiratory pathogens, such as tuberculosis.”

Sawyer said the rapid test can perform a triage function, informing people with positive results to quarantine until they receive a laboratory test. In trials, 30 out of 30 negative samples were identified as such, while 29 out of 30 infected samples produced a positive result. Venture Partners at CU-Boulder, the department that helps bring to market new ideas stemming from research, will work to make a commercial version of the test available.