Italy makes Coronavirus super-fast saliva test

Italy has come up with a super-fast saliva test for COVID-19.

The new test, called the “Daily Tampon”, is being trialled by the Italian health ministry and is expected to be approved for production soon, Italian media reported on Wednesday.

Tampone is the Italian word for a swab test – though the makers named the test in English.

The simple test requires a mouth swab and analyses and shows results similarly to a pregnancy test, according to media reports.

It differs from the current rapid tests being used at some Italian airports, which instead require a sample of nose and throat secretions and give results within around two hours.