Thai researchers are developing a sweat-based mobile virus detector, and road-tested it on shopkeepers at a Bangkok food market this week.
"From the samples, we found that people infected with COVID-19 secrete very distinct chemicals," said Chadin Kulsing from Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
"We used this finding to develop a device to detect the specific odors produced by certain bacteria in the sweat of COVID-19 patients.
Chadin—who said the test was 95 percent accurate—hopes it might be rolled out as an affordable alternative to more expensive swab tests that require lab processing.
It is however still in the development stage, and the research behind it is yet to be published or peer-reviewed.
The scientists adapted a device usually used to detect toxic chemicals in the environment.
"From the samples, we found that people infected with COVID-19 secrete very distinct chemicals," said Chadin Kulsing from Bangkok's Chulalongkorn University.
"We used this finding to develop a device to detect the specific odors produced by certain bacteria in the sweat of COVID-19 patients.
Chadin—who said the test was 95 percent accurate—hopes it might be rolled out as an affordable alternative to more expensive swab tests that require lab processing.
It is however still in the development stage, and the research behind it is yet to be published or peer-reviewed.
The scientists adapted a device usually used to detect toxic chemicals in the environment.
