ABSTRACT
Background: The COVID-19 outbreaks have recently become the focus of a significant amount of interest from medical professionals and researchers all around the world. A prompt and accurate diagnosis is one of the most important steps in managing the outbreak. Because of its advantages in non-invasive sampling, saliva is still being studied as a promising diagnostic tool for oral and systemic diseases particularly COVID-19. Objective: The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and describe the scientific literature on the diagnosis of COVID-19 utilizing saliva as a diagnostic tool using bibliometric indicators. Method: All types of publications on Scopus regarding saliva as a COVID-19 diagnostic tool were extracted, but only those published between 2019 and 2022 with specific keywords were included. The data were analyzed and visualized using a variety of tools and software, including VOSviewer, OpenRefine, and Tableau Desktop. Main findings: There are 814 publications accessible, including 603 journal articles, 111 review articles, 12 conference papers, 3 book chapters, and 85 other types of documents such as letters, notes, and editorials. Participating in the writing of publications on saliva as a COVID-19 diagnostic tool are 85 nations. The United States wrote the most articles on this issue than any other nation. There is a substantial growth in publications on this subject from one year to the next. Plos One is the journal where this topic has been covered the most. However, the top author profile who has published on this matter is from China. Conclusion: The attention to saliva research and its potential benefits for COVID-19 diagnostic tools is comparatively recent, but has developed substantially. The bibliometric analysis also could reveal the most recent research that has the potential to be expanded and deepened.
