FDA’s Approval Of Yale, NBA-Funded Saliva COVID-19 Test Could Be Gamechanger For College Sports

Dan Lyons
A view from the end zone of Boston College football field.
A view from the end zone of Boston College football field.

A new saliva-based COVID-19 test has received emergency FDA approval, according to multiple reports. The test, developed at Yale with financial backing from the NBA and the league’s Player’s Association, could be a total gamechanger, both for everyday life, and for the feasibility of sports like college football and other NCAA events, as it promises to be accurate, fast, and most importantly, significantly cheaper than existing tests.

Right now, the cost and turnaround time of testing is a significant hurdle for society as a whole. A number of college football programs are having their protocols tested heavily this week, as regular students return to campus. We’ve seen reported outbreaks within schools that previously had things well under control, including Notre Dame—which had a ton of success holding back the virus all summer—and Oklahoma, which just had nine players test positive after players were given a week off.

Just today, we’ve seen issues with the protocols that some programs have in place. Liberty, an FBS independent which is set to face three ACC schools this fall, caught real flak when head coach Hugh Freeze admitted that the program hadn’t tested in weeks, due to a lack of symptoms among his players. He admission ignored the realities of asymptomatic carriers, and the threat they present to the more susceptible population that they will likely come into contact with on a day-to-day basis.

There is a major financial component there, especially for smaller programs without the SEC-level cash on hand. Many current COVID-19 tests with quick turnarounds can cost over $100 per test, which gets very expensive with programs that may have well over 100 people involved on a daily basis, between players, coaches, and support staff. That adds up in a big way if a team is testing that group with the regularity needed to be as safe as possible. This new saliva-based test could cost as little as $4, though it may go up to $15-20 for consumers. Even on that high end, it is significantly more affordable for schools and individuals.

The NBA worked with Yale in the test’s development, comparing its results to the accurate tests already on the market and being used in the NBA bubble right now. It is likely less sensitive than those due to some of the measures taken to make it more affordable, but the results were almost identical in that study conducted. Andy Slavitt, a former staffer under President Barack Obama who was instrumental in the effort to get the FDA to rule here, had a lengthy Twitter thread about the impact this test could have if it lives up to the billing. He says it is between 88 and 94-percent accurate.

Another crucial factor is the turnaround time. There are still some obstacles to get labs nationwide equipped to process the tests, but it sounds like it will be easier done than the current saliva tests, developed by Rutgers University in recent months.

From ESPN’s Zach Lowe:

“The Yale test funded by the league and players’ union is simple enough to be used by labs everywhere provided they go through required accreditation processes, said Nathan Grubaugh, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Yale and one of two senior authors, along with Anne Wyllie, an associate research scientist in epidemiology, behind the saliva studies. Consumers dribble saliva into a narrow tube. Depending on the proximity of the lab, consumers could get results back within a few hours — and definitely within 24 hours, Grubaugh said.”

Grubaugh made the point that he hopes the test is not limited just to athletes, and that the NBA just happened to be a willing partner with a strong monetary incentive to get this developed. There has been very justified backlash to the idea of sports teams taking up large percentages of tests administered, especially early on when the NBA suspended its season in March, around the time that the country hit crisis mode due to COVID-19.

“My goal is not to test athletes,” Grubaugh said. “That’s not my target population. My target population is everybody. There were concerns about partnering with the NBA when all these other people need testing. But the simple answer ended up being the NBA was going to do all this testing anyway, so why not partner with them and try to create something for everyone?”

The NBA, Yale and the players’ association do not intend to take royalties from any use of the testing method, Grubaugh and others said. The NBA and union contributed more than $500,000 combined to fund the Yale work, sources told ESPN.

If this COVID-19 test becomes accurate, widely available, and able to be processed at most schools around the country, it presents a major opportunity to get college sports off the ground for 2020-21, and more importantly, bring some normalcy back to the country in general, with the ability to identify and quarantine those with the virus and put a stop to major outbreaks. This type of test was reportedly top of mind for AAC commissioner Mike Aresco, who is still hoping to have his college football league play this fall. SEC commissioner Greg Sankey has also expressed some very cautious optimism.

Our fingers are crossed, especially as this news comes after a week of reckoning for the college football season amid the COVID-19 crisis.

The post FDA’s Approval Of Yale, NBA-Funded Saliva COVID-19 Test Could Be Gamechanger For College Sports appeared first on The Spun.

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