A patient gives a saliva sample at a drive-through Covid-19 testing site in Salt Lake City, Utah. The test is less invasive than the more common PCR nasal swab and does not require as many nursing staff. Bing Guan / Reuters
A patient gives a saliva sample at a drive-through Covid-19 testing site in Salt Lake City, Utah. The test is less invasive than the more common PCR nasal swab and does not require as many nursing staff. Bing Guan / Reuters
A patient gives a saliva sample at a drive-through Covid-19 testing site in Salt Lake City, Utah. The test is less invasive than the more common PCR nasal swab and does not require as many nursing staff. Bing Guan / Reuters
A patient gives a saliva sample at a drive-through Covid-19 testing site in Salt Lake City, Utah. The test is less invasive than the more common PCR nasal swab and does not require as many nursing sta

Dubai rolls out Covid-19 spit test for children to avoid need for PCR nasal swabs


Nick Webster
  • English
  • Arabic

Dubai's health authority has introduced a saliva test for children to avoid the need for uncomfortable nasal swabs.

Young people who are travelling abroad or are getting tested as a precaution can visit one of 19 government-run centres.

The saliva alternative is in use for children aged between 3 and 16.

It involves spitting into a tube which is then sealed and tested.

The UAE typically tests more than 100,000 people per day.

The saliva test costs Dh150, the same price as the commonly used PCR test, and delivers results within 24 hours.

For children, in particular, it is highly beneficial as it eliminates the discomfort associated with a nasal swab test

Dubai Health Authority approved the change after several months of trials with the Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences.

“For children, in particular, it is highly beneficial as it eliminates the discomfort associated with a nasal swab test, which means children will be at ease and find the test comfortable,” said Dr Farida Al Khaja, chief executive of DHA's clinical support services and nursing division.

“This joint effort highlights how research-based data can help develop public health policies to provide the highest-standards of medical care to the population.”

The research team took saliva and nasal swabs from 476 children who came to screening facilities in Dubai for Covid-19 testing.

Saliva specimens were collected in sterile containers. At the same time, the children provided nasal swab specimens to compare accuracy.

Samples were then tested for Sars-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, at a virology laboratory.

Findings showed saliva could be used for viral detection with 87.7 per cent sensitivity and 98.5 per cent specificity, similar to a PCR nasal swab test.

Results showed that saliva is a useful diagnostic specimen for Covid-19 screening in children.

Similar research has been conducted at New York University Abu Dhabi where scientists said saliva screening had a greater accuracy than PCR nasal tests to identify the virus.

Similar checks have been tried in the UK and Canada, with Abu Dhabi scientists claiming their research reduced the risk of false results and provided more accurate transmission rates.

The study in Dubai, which was one of the region’s largest on children and received approval from the Human Research Ethics Committee at DHA, was submitted for peer-review publication.

Dr Hanan Al Suwaidi, lead investigator and assistant professor of family medicine at Mohammed bin Rashid University of Medicine and Health Sciences, said the advantages of employing saliva for testing were reduced risk to frontline healthcare professionals and less strain on critical health equipment.

Experts said it was also a cost-effective method of mass testing.

“We are very proud that Dubai’s efforts in fighting this pandemic have been research-driven and evidence-based,” Dr Al Suwaidi said.

“The use of saliva as diagnostic specimen for Covid-19 screening will indeed offer an accessible and more comfortable alternative for children and their families.”

While you're here
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What is blockchain?

Blockchain is a form of distributed ledger technology, a digital system in which data is recorded across multiple places at the same time. Unlike traditional databases, DLTs have no central administrator or centralised data storage. They are transparent because the data is visible and, because they are automatically replicated and impossible to be tampered with, they are secure.

The main difference between blockchain and other forms of DLT is the way data is stored as ‘blocks’ – new transactions are added to the existing ‘chain’ of past transactions, hence the name ‘blockchain’. It is impossible to delete or modify information on the chain due to the replication of blocks across various locations.

Blockchain is mostly associated with cryptocurrency Bitcoin. Due to the inability to tamper with transactions, advocates say this makes the currency more secure and safer than traditional systems. It is maintained by a network of people referred to as ‘miners’, who receive rewards for solving complex mathematical equations that enable transactions to go through.

However, one of the major problems that has come to light has been the presence of illicit material buried in the Bitcoin blockchain, linking it to the dark web.

Other blockchain platforms can offer things like smart contracts, which are automatically implemented when specific conditions from all interested parties are reached, cutting the time involved and the risk of mistakes. Another use could be storing medical records, as patients can be confident their information cannot be changed. The technology can also be used in supply chains, voting and has the potential to used for storing property records.

David Haye record

Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Lamsa

Founder: Badr Ward

Launched: 2014

Employees: 60

Based: Abu Dhabi

Sector: EdTech

Funding to date: $15 million

Specs

Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric

Range: Up to 610km

Power: 905hp

Torque: 985Nm

Price: From Dh439,000

Available: Now

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The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S

Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900

Engine: 937cc

Transmission: Six-speed gearbox

Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm

Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km

CHELSEA SQUAD

Arrizabalaga, Bettinelli, Rudiger, Christensen, Silva, Chalobah, Sarr, Azpilicueta, James, Kenedy, Alonso, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic, Saul, Barkley, Ziyech, Pulisic, Mount, Hudson-Odoi, Werner, Havertz, Lukaku. 

UAE SQUAD

Omar Abdulrahman (Al Hilal), Ali Khaseif, Ali Mabkhout, Salem Rashed, Khalifa Al Hammadi, Khalfan Mubarak, Zayed Al Ameri, Mohammed Al Attas (Al Jazira), Khalid Essa, Ahmed Barman, Ryan Yaslam, Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain), Habib Fardan, Tariq Ahmed, Mohammed Al Akbari (Al Nasr), Ali Saleh, Ali Salmin (Al Wasl), Adel Al Hosani, Ali Hassan Saleh, Majed Suroor (Sharjah), Ahmed Khalil, Walid Abbas, Majed Hassan, Ismail Al Hammadi (Shabab Al Ahli), Hassan Al Muharrami, Fahad Al Dhahani (Bani Yas), Mohammed Al Shaker (Ajman)

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
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MATCH INFO

Uefa Champions League, Group B
Barcelona v Inter Milan
Camp Nou, Barcelona
Wednesday, 11pm (UAE)

Company%20profile
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  • Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
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Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching

Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

The specs

Engine: 4.0-litre V8 twin-turbocharged and three electric motors

Power: Combined output 920hp

Torque: 730Nm at 4,000-7,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch automatic

Fuel consumption: 11.2L/100km

On sale: Now, deliveries expected later in 2025

Price: expected to start at Dh1,432,000

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates