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Initial trials of a new coronavirus test open the way for the virus to be diagnosed in seconds instead of hours.
Research has shown that breathing examination, a technique developed in Wales, may be able to distinguish between the Corona virus and any other chest infection almost immediately.
The research was published in The Lancet after experiments were carried out in Germany and Scotland.
The developers (IMSPEX Diagnostics) said that the testing devices may be ready for use within six months, if they obtain the necessary funding.
The founder of the company that developed the test, Santi Dominguez added, “I think the possibilities are exciting. The result is straightforward. We can see uses outside the hospital environment, such as aviation, transportation and immigration. You can take a quick sample, you don’t need a professional to take it, and you get the result in minutes.” .
IMPEX has developed the latest machines at its headquarters in Wales.
The technology was mainly used to develop tests to diagnose diseases such as lung cancer and how to distinguish bacterial infection from viral, but with the spread of the Corona virus on a global scale, the company made a decision to focus on diagnosing the emerging disease.
The director of IMSPEX said: “We have experience in this field and experience in application, and when the Corona virus began to spread, we decided to shift our research in that direction to contribute to the efforts.”
Two experiments have now been conducted using the company’s technology, on hospital patients in Edinburgh and Dortmund, Germany, in the early stages of the spread of the virus.
The study being conducted by Loughborough University evolved from the university’s work on a toxicology and waste project, to assist emergency departments in civil disasters.
The researchers tried to see if the devices could differentiate between a patient with corona and another with a chest infection.
The device analyzed breath samples in search of volatile chemicals in the air, which gives researchers an idea of the cause of the patient’s illness and his breathing difficulties.
The tests were able to distinguish the Corona virus in chemicals, and this was confirmed by conventional laboratory tests.
In 80 percent of the cases, they were able to diagnose the patient’s infection with the Coronavirus and distinguish the infection from other respiratory problems such as asthma and bacterial pneumonia.
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In the study, which was conducted in Edinburgh, researchers also diagnosed chemical compounds that have a great ability to diagnose a patient’s condition, and whether the infection can lead to death.
The scientists concluded that if the data they obtained were reliable, it would open horizons for a rapid diagnosis of infection with the Coronavirus in emergency departments or in intensive care departments, which would improve the performance of those departments in dealing with patients and protecting workers in the health sector.
They added that developing this method may lead to a rapid diagnosis of infection with the Coronavirus.
Paul Thomas of the Department of Chemistry at Loughborough University said the results were very encouraging.
However, these studies are limited, as only about 100 people were conducted.
The company that developed the device said that it still needs to work more on the technology before it is ready for use in everyday situations, whether in hospitals, airports or similar places.
“We are a small company, and if we have to do it with our limited capabilities, it will take us 12-18 months,” said Sanet Dominguez. “But if we get the appropriate support, we can put our product on the market within 6 months.”
He added that getting support for the next step is the company’s priority at present.
He said his company had had some support from the Welsh government in the past, and that helped get to the current point.
After reaching the point of approval of the product, the company needs to be able to produce it in sufficient quantities, so producing it in small numbers will not be useful.
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