Scientists have developed a mask that can detect the coronavirus in just 10 minutes.
The highly sensitive face cover can detect the new bug in the air and alert the user via an app on their phone. You can also pick up swine flu and bird flu.
These diseases are spread through airborne droplets released by infected people when they speak, cough or sneeze.
The tiny, invisible molecules can remain suspended in the air for a long time, and people contract diseases by breathing in a large cluster of molecules while hiding.
Researchers in China tested the mask in a closed chamber by spraying liquid containing virus proteins onto the face covering.
The sensor responded to just 0.3 microliters of liquid.
That is, between 70 and 560 times less than the amount of liquid produced by a sneeze and even less than the amount produced by coughing or talking.
The sensor contains aptamers, a type of synthetic molecule that can identify proteins in pathogens.
They tested their model with aptamers that can recognize Covid-19, swine flu and bird flu.
Once the aptamers attached to the virus’s proteins in the air, a device called an ion-controlled transistor alerted users to the pathogens through their phones.
Corresponding author of the study, Dr. Yin Fang, from Shanghai Tongji University, said: “Previous research has shown that wearing a face mask can reduce the risk of spreading and contracting the disease.
“We wanted to create a mask that could detect the presence of viruses in the air and alert the wearer.
“Our mask would work very well in poorly ventilated spaces, such as elevators or closed rooms, where the risk of infection is high.
“In the future, if a new respiratory virus emerges, we can easily update the sensor design to detect the new pathogens.”
The team now wants to make the mask detect disease even faster and create wearable devices that could help people manage other diseases such as cancer and heart disease.
The findings were published in the journal Matter.