The first section of this protocol details recommendations for collecting saliva for SARS-CoV-2 detection, either by self-collection or healthcare worker-assisted collection.The second section details an extraction-free method for preparation of saliva samples for SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection. This involves the addition of proteinase K to reduce saliva viscosity, followed by a heating step to inactivate the proteinase K before RT-qPCR testing.The third section describes a dual-plex RT-qPCR assay for high-throughput SARS-CoV-2 diagnostics. The CDC_N1 (N1) primer/probe set targets the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid gene, and is shown to be sensitive and specific. The human RNase P (RP) primer/probe set is included as an internal sample control - detection of RP at PCR cycle threshold (CT)