The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has first approved a test for covid-19 that is performed with a simple puff. The InspectIR Covid-19 breathalyser detects chemical compounds in breath samples that identify the presence of the disease. The test is done by blowing into a tube connected to a balloon-shaped device that ‘catches’ your breath.
Three minutes for the result
The FDA explained that this type of test can be performed in places such as clinics and hospitals under the supervision of trained personnel, and takes three minutes to produce a result. The new test uses a technique called gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC / MS), which separates and identifies chemicals in combination and quickly detects five volatile organic compounds linked to covid infection.
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How does it work
When the test finds the presence of markers for these organic compounds, it gives a positive result, which, according to the FDA, should then be confirmed with a molecular test. The test was studied in 2,409 volunteers, with and without symptoms of covid-19, and demonstrated a sensitivity of 91.2%, which refers to the percentage of positives that InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer correctly identified.