French consortium launches production for saliva-based COVID screening test

A French consortium announced on Monday the launch of the production phase for a saliva-based screening test to detect the COVID-19 coronavirus.

The consortium said the test would be performed by a healthcare professional and involves collecting less than 1 milliliter of saliva from a patient. The sample is then deposited in two tubes heated to 65C, and a subsequent reading screens the tested patients for the presence of the virus.

The consortium - comprised of French companies Vogo, SKILLCELL, and the CNRS SYS2DIAG laboratory - hoped its 'EasyCov' product would enter the French market from mid-June onwards.