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New tests for the coronavirus are examining the chemical composition of the air exhaled by humans. This test has been shown to almost immediately distinguish coronavirus infection from other respiratory diseases. The tests were developed by Imspex Diagnostics in Wales, and researchers from Loughborough University carried out chemical analysis of exhaled air for COVID-19. The findings of this study were published in The Lancet’s EclinicalMedicine.
Suitable for hospitals and airports
The experts are of the opinion, writes gazeta.pl, based on said magazine, that this type of rapid test can be used in many places, such as public transport, airports, to quickly screen passengers, immigration reception centers, hospitals, residences of elderly.
Photo by Julius Kalinskas / 15min / Vilnius Airport
The company that developed the tests specializes in developing technologies to help diagnose diseases such as lung cancer and to differentiate between bacterial and respiratory infections.
Researchers from Lafborough University, in turn, are conducting a series of toxicological studies that could help rescue services in various disasters. In this case, the researchers had to check whether the new technology developed would allow the patient to be diagnosed with COVID-19 or another chest infection.
The experiment was carried out in two hospitals in Edinburgh and Dortmund, and samples of exhaled air from patients with shortness of breath were examined. The researchers looked for chemical compounds that could quickly differentiate COVID-19 infection from other infections. The diagnosis was then confirmed by conventional methods.
4 out of 5 patients identified
The researchers were even able to isolate some compounds that made it possible to distinguish COVID-19 from other infections. It is stated that the specific composition of the air exhaled by a person with COVID-19 is determined by ketosis (energy is not obtained from sugar but from fat), gastrointestinal disorders and inflammatory processes. After analyzing the composition of exhaled air in infected people, the researchers hope that some compounds may also indicate the severity of the infection and even an increased risk of death. The researchers would like to do more research to confirm this hypothesis.
Scanpix / AFP / Slovakia is conducting a world population survey on coronavirus
According to the press release, if the test results are found to be reliable, this will allow infections to be identified very quickly in medical facilities, thus giving staff better protection. So far, the reliability of this test is estimated to be around 80%, which means that COVID-19 can be detected in four of the five patients who have difficulty breathing. Additionally, the new test separated COVID-19 from diseases such as asthma and bacterial pneumonia.
However, it was only a small study – it involved only about 100 people, so its results have yet to be verified by scientists, and the testing tools themselves still need to be improved. But its developers say they are confident that with support they could do it all in half a year. Then only manufacturers who could quickly produce these tests for mass use would be needed.
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