Launching a saliva-based SARS-CoV-2 surveillance testing program on a university campus

Regular surveillance testing of asymptomatic individuals for SARS-CoV-2 has been center to SARS-CoV-2 outbreak prevention on college and university campuses. Here we describe the voluntary saliva testing program instituted at the University of California, Berkeley during an early period of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in 2020. The program was administered as a research study ahead of clinical implementation, enabling us to launch surveillance testing while continuing to optimize the assay. Results of both the testing protocol itself and the study participants' experience show how the program succeeded in providing routine, robust testing capable of contributing to outbreak prevention within a campus community and offer strategies for encouraging participation and a sense of civic responsibility.

An almost completely shielded microelectrode

We present a new method of shielding microelectrodes to within 20 micron of the tip. Stray capacity is reduced to less than 50 fF. Ordinary microelectrodes are covered with silver in a vacuum evaporator. Silver is removed from the tip by contact with a ball of mercury. The microelectrode is then insulated with a glass barrel which is sealed by dipping the tip in diluted polystyrene in amyl acetate, or by dipping the electrode in melted wax. The latter method is quick, easy and reliable.