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As many parts of the world head toward a second lockdown, MIT researchers have developed an algorithm that can differentiate between the coughs of asymptomatic people with COVID and those of healthy people.
The research, which is published in the IEEE Journal of Engineering in Medicine and Biology, was originally used to detect Alzheimer’s disease, but has been adapted to recognize coronavirus.
The idea is that AI can detect these differences in coughs caused by neuromuscular impairment and other symptoms between healthy people and asymptomatic people with coronavirus – differences that those asymptomatic people might not notice on their own.
Based on pre-existing AI that has been trained to detect biomarkers such as vocal cord strength, lung capacity, and neuromuscular degeneration, a special COVID-specific assessment uses 4,000 cough samples, half from healthy people, half of asymptomatic patients with coronavirus. According to the research, the AI correctly identified 98.5 percent of the coughs of people with COVID.
Researchers are currently working on a free app that would allow anyone to cough on their smartphone and essentially get a pre-assessment of whether they have COVID or not, even if they have no symptoms. Pretty awesome stuff.
Elsewhere, a robot has been built to fight coronavirus with UV light, while YouTube’s ASMR community disguises themselves as nurses and doctors to perform simulated POV coronavirus tests on viewers. Someone also designed a PPE rave outfit for safe socializing at the club. It’s a happy world, people.
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