Saliva Research Program

Viral respiratory infections commonly affect children and can lead to serious health issues in some children. Understanding how influenza, RSV and COVID-19 respiratory infections spread among children may help public health and health-care workers during outbreaks and future pandemics. 

During the 2024–25 school year, SickKids is working with Public Health to better understand:

1. How the amount of virus changes over the course of infection 
2. How the infections spread in households, and 
3. How infections spread in classrooms and how often children have these infections even when they don’t feel sick. 

Who can participate

• Individuals who test positive for influenza, RSV and COVID-19 have the option to do a daily saliva test for 10 days. 
• Individuals who test positive for influenza, RSV and COVID-19 have the option to have their households complete a one-time saliva test. 
• Classrooms may receive research kits. If your child’s class is given a research kit, they have the option to complete a one-time saliva test.

All research is voluntary, and you don’t have to participate if you don’t want to. All research samples are anonymous and all personal information is removed. You can choose whether you would like the results of your sample. Doing a clinical test does not require you to participate in research. 

My child received a research Spit-kit from school 

• Your child received a Spit-kit because their class was chosen for testing.
• Classes will be chosen throughout the school year so that we can see how often children have these infections even when they don’t have symptoms. 
• Your child is being asked to provide a one-time saliva sample. All participation is voluntary, and you and your child can decide whether to return the sample. The sample will be tested later for influenza, RSV and COVID-19 infections. No human genetic testing is done on the specimen.
• You and your child have the option of whether you would like to know the results of the research sample. 

What to do

1. You and your child can decide whether you would like to submit a research sample.  
   • We ask you to please return the unused kit to the ‘Unused Saliva Kit’ bin in your child’s classroom if you decide not to participate. 
   • If you would like to participate, learn how to collect your sample. 
2. If you would like to submit a research sample, you and your child can decide if you would like to know the results of the research sample. 
   • Results are not shared with the school, public health, or with your doctor. The results are yours to decide whether you want to receive and/or share them.  
   • Results will take longer than standard processing times. 
3. Review the Research Saliva Collection Instructions – Classroom (PDF). Complete the saliva test. Fill in the label and requisition form included based on the option you choose. 
   • If you would like the results of the sample, write the contact name and information on the requisition form. This is to notify you of the result. These details will be removed from the research sample after notifying you.
   • Write the child's age in years and check off their legal sex.
   • Check off 'symptomatic' if the person being tested has symptoms, or check off 'no symptoms' if the person being tested has no symptoms. If they have symptoms, please list the symptoms (example: cough, fever) and write the date when the first symptom started.
   • Write the date and time when the saliva sample was collected.
   • Keep the saliva sample in the fridge until drop-off.
4. Drop off your completed classroom research sample at the ‘Saliva Kit Drop-off’ station at your school.

Individual and household testing

If your child tests positive, and you’re interested in the individual and household testing components, our research team will provide more details and coordinate kit drop-off with you. 

Benefits of participating

The information we learn may help us better understand how long children are infectious with these viruses and how they spread. Informed decisions come from good data, which may help inform public health and prevent the spread of these viruses in the future.  

Participants will receive a small token of appreciation in the form of a gift card for individual and household testing. Children participants for individual and household testing will also be given volunteer hours and offered a certificate of participation. Participating classrooms will be entered into a raffle for a celebratory experience approved by their school leadership.