Pandemic response efforts require nimble, dynamic thinking and a willingness to innovate. By embracing this mindset and championing a dynamic, collaborative response, SalivaDirect helped communities overcome challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. What began with the development of an open-source, low-cost COVID-19 diagnostic assay at Yale School of Public Health has grown into a Global Diagnostic Network and a spinout into a new, independent nonprofit: SalivaDirect, Inc. SalivaDirect Inc, the nonprofit, is continuing to propel the use of saliva as a superior sample type for accessible, equitable surveillance of respiratory pathogens. SalivaDirect has validated the simplified PCR approach for: SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A/B, RSV, and Mpox virus with additional targets on the horizon. To date, more than 200 CLIA laboratories have provided over 7M tests nationwide. SalivaDirect also has been independently validated internationally in 15+ countries.
