Scientists have developed a new face mask that can detect Covid-19 in as little as ten minutes.
The highly sensitive face covering can use a small sensor implanted in it to detect the virus in the air and can alert the wearer via an app on their phone.
Aside from the coronavirus, it can also pick up swine flu and bird flu using the same technology, according to findings published in the journal Matter.
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This is down to the fact that these diseases spread through tiny droplets in the air which are released by infected people when they talk, cough or sneeze.
The invisible molecules can remain suspended in the air for a long time and people catch illnesses by breathing in a big cluster of molecules as they lie in wait.
Researchers in China tested the mask in an enclosed chamber by spraying a liquid containing virus proteins onto the face covering.
The sensor can respond to tiny amounts of virus proteins - with researchers using just 0.3 microlitres of the liquid.
That is between 70 and 560 times less than the amount of liquid produced by one sneeze and even less than the amount produced by coughing or talking.
According to scientists, the sensor contains aptamers, a type of synthetic molecule that can identify proteins in pathogens.
Once the aptamers bound to the virus proteins in the air, a gadget called an ion-gated transistor alerted wearers to the pathogens via their phones.
The Study’s co-author Dr. Yin Fang, of Shanghai Tongji University, said: “Previous research has shown face mask wearing can reduce the risk of spreading and contracting the disease.
“We wanted to create a mask that can detect the presence of virus in the air and alert the wearer. Our mask would work really well in spaces with poor ventilation, such as lifts or enclosed rooms, where the risk of getting infected is high.
“In the future, if a new respiratory virus emerges, we can easily update the sensor’s design for detecting the novel pathogens.”
The team is now working to make the mask detect the virus even faster and plans on creating wearable devices that can help people with other illnesses such as cancer and heart disease.
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