Noninvasive Rapid COVID Test Meets the Public

According to a study published recently in the Journal of Breath Research, an academic journal based in the United Kingdom, Chinese scientists and researchers have developed a noninvasive rapid COVID-19 screening test that analyzes breath-borne compounds. The technology was developed by a team led by Yao Maosheng, a professor at Peking University’s College of Environmental Sciences and Technology, together with researchers from the center for disease control and prevention in Beijing’s Chaoyang District.

To complete the test, people only have to exhale into a disposable plastic bag for 30 seconds or less. Compared with nucleic acid tests, such screening is cheaper and faster. “Experiments with recruited subjects have proved that the system is effective,” Yao said.

The technology can provide novel coronavirus test results within five to 10 minutes with a simple exhalation of breath, eliminating uncomfortable throat or nostril swabs and long waits in line. The research team has applied for a national patent for the new system.

Scientists and researchers in some other countries, including Japan, Indonesia, Israel, France, and the Netherlands, have been working on developing similar technology since last year. Yao said the research team in China was the first to report experimental data.