Main image via The Straits Times
A group of scientists in Singapore have come up with a breath test that can apparently give you your COVID-19 result in just 60 seconds! Yes, in just one minute!
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The National University of Singapore start-up company developed the test in a way that it detects volatile organic compounds (VOC) in a person’s breath and feeds it into a breath sampler.
It’s then fed into a mass spectrometer and a machine will analyze the samples and generate the results. The mouthpiece on the machine is said to be disposable and has a one-way valve and saliva trap that prevents it from entering the device. Hence, cross-contamination is really unlikely.
After testing on 180 patients, they confirmed that the machine has been correct 90 percent of the time. This sounds like really good news!
It’s CEO said that this technology can be used in areas with high traffic.
Singapore Health Minister Gan Kim Yong hopes the country would be able to deploy alternative testing kits in the coming months.
Well, with the rising numbers in Malaysia, we hope the process gets much smoother in the future as well.
Malaysia recorded the highest number of COVID-19 cases on Saturday, 24 October 2020, with 1,228 cases. For now, Sabah, Klang, Selangor and Putrajaya are still currently under the CMCO. Stay safe, guys!
By: Piravina Ragunathan
Info via Mashable
