NEW YORK – PerkinElmer said on Thursday that its SARS-CoV-2 Real-time RT-PCR assay has received the CE-IVD mark for the use of saliva as a specimen type and for sample pooling.
The assay can now be used to pool up to five specimens collected from individuals suspected of having COVID-19 or from asymptomatic patients. The test initially received CE marking in the spring.
"To strike the right balance between keeping the world economy moving while ensuring safe practices, governments and private organizations are working tirelessly to increase the number of times individuals are tested for COVID-19,” PerkinElmer VP and General Manager of Diagnostics Masoud Toloue said in a statement. "We expect our newly released saliva-based collection and asymptomatic test solution will play a large role in this effort."