The air monitor that can detect COVID-19 in just 5 minutes

Researchers from Washington University in St. Louis have built an air sensory system capable of real-time detection of any of the known COVID variants that may be inside a room, according to a July 10 press release.

The air monitoring system was developed using aerosol sampling technology and a biosensing technique that only takes about five minutes to return results.

A conceptual study published in Nature, found that it demonstrated between 77 and 83 percent sensitivity. Enough for the researchers to determine that the monitor “is suitable for point-of-need surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 variants in indoor environments and can be adapted for multiplexed detection of other respiratory pathogens of interest.”

“If you’re in a room with 100 people, you don’t want to know five days later whether you might be sick or not,” said John Cirrito, PhD, professor of neurology at the university and one of the authors of the study. in the release. “The idea with this device is that you can basically know in real time, or every 5 minutes, if there’s a live virus in the air.”

Adopting the technology could help public health officials better manage infection control and spread, the research team believes.