Electronic devices may soon be used to identify the presence infection in a crowded space using body odour profiles after scientists in the UK have tested a so-called “Covid alarm”, reported by PTI. Early studies by scientists at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) and Durham University show that Covid-19 infection has a distinct smell, resulting from changes in the volatile organic compounds (VOC) which make up the body odour generating an odour “fingerprint” that the sensors can detect.
Led by researchers from the LSHTM and biotech company Robo Scientific Ltd with Durham University, the study tested devices with organic semi-conducting (OSC) sensors, which could potentially be used as a Covid-19 screening tool. These results are really promising and demonstrate the potential for using this technology as a rapid, non-invasive test with incredible accuracy. However, further testing is required to confirm if these results can be replicated in real-world settings, said Professor James Logan, Head of the Department of Disease Control at LSHTM, who led the study. If these devices are successfully developed for use in public places, they could be affordably and easily scaled up. They also could protect people against future disease outbreaks, with capability to develop sensor arrays to detect other diseases within a number of weeks, he said.
The samples collected from 54 individuals were analysed by RoboScientific’s Model 307B VOC analyser fitted with an array of 12 OSC sensors. The samples were collected as part of a wider study led by LSHTM, in collaboration with Medical Detection Dogs and Durham University. The OSC sensors captured the odour profile of the samples, having been tuned to be sensitive to the VOCs associated with COVID-19 infection, primarily ketone and aldehyde compounds.
