A non-invasive test can identify key biomarkers in the breathing of a person infected with the coronavirus in less than a minute, according to a new study.
Scientists at Loughborough University in Leicester, UK, originally worked on technology to detect cancer as well as bacterial and viral respiratory diseases — but the pandemic has forced them to turn their attention to COVID-19.
Experts studied 98 patients — 31 of whom were infected with the coronavirus — and were able to diagnose a range of conditions, including asthma, COPD, viral pneumonia, various respiratory infections and heart problems. In addition, they found special biomarkers present only in the respiration of a COVID-19 patient.
The non-invasive breath test gave almost instant results, according to a study published in The Lancet.
The study showed how the markers or «breathing signatures» they found could be used to «quickly distinguish COVID-19 from other respiratory diseases in an emergency, such as in the emergency department or in the workplace,» the scientists said.
“We are very excited about this discovery. — says Paul Thomas, professor of analytical sciences at the Loughborough Department of Chemistry — Using the methods already applied in the TOXI-Triage project suggests that COVID-19 can be quickly distinguished from other respiratory diseases. «
