Queensland Enterprise Creates New COVID-19 Breathalyzer With 98% Accuracy | No Swab Required

Joseph Henry, Tech Times 04 February 2022, 05:02 am

A company based in Queensland, Australia has created a new COVID-19 detecting device that works like other breathalyzers. According to the latest report, this tool poses 98% accuracy in identifying the results, among patients.

Queensland Firm Develops Breathalyzer Detection For Coronavirus

Queensland Enterprise Creates New COVID-19 Breathalyzer With 98% Accuracy | No Swab Required

(Photo : Jenny Evans/Getty Images)

According to an article written by Australian-based news outlet 4BC, a new breath testing device could detect the virus within a single minute. Examin Holdings Managing Director Colin Hickey spoke that this handheld equipment was indeed a "very simple" device.

Hickey said that this breathalyzer can now detect coronavirus among Australians like any other roadside breath tester. With that, there's no need anymore to resort to conducting a swab test for a patient who wants to be tested.

He continued that this tool was non-invasive thus very easy to use. It will only take five seconds before the patient knows the result if he/she is positive or negative to the COVID-19.

After the COVID-19 testing takes place, a QR code will appear. You can further scan it to know the answer for the test, as per Hickey.

Breathalyzer Test is 98% Accurate Based on Studies

In another article by 9news, another Aussie news publication, the COVID-19 detection device could reportedly pose 98% accuracy according to the early studies of the Queensland company.

For those individuals who want to immediately know if they are infected or not, this would be an effective tool to use for quick detection of the virus.

Meanwhile, the government said in the same report that it gave a $650,000 grant for the development of the product and its test.

Per Angus Taylor, the Federal Industry Minister, this creation was a "brilliant piece" made in Australia. The 55-year-old politician who also serves as the Minister for Energy and Emissions Reduction said that they are looking forward to supporting the company with their resources.

Aside from Australia, Singapore also approved of the Go COVID-19 breath test system which can yield test results in just 60 seconds. Back in May 2021, Tech Times reported that this works by identifying the existing Volatile Organic Compounds or VOCs in the exhaled breath of a patient.

The researchers would take note of the "biochemical reactions" on this test so they could detect the coronavirus in an individual. The one-way valve mouthpiece will be connected to the breathalyzer. The patient will blow the air after that.

Examin Founder Partners With Utah

For the roll-out of the tests around the world, Hickey announced that he's partnering with the University of Utah to make it happen. He expected that the distribution of the products would commence around April or May 2022.

The collaboration of Hickey and the said institution can be traced as early as February 2019 when they wanted to create a breathalyzer tool for the detection of the Zika virus.

Meanwhile, some scientists said that smartphone-based COVID-19 tests are cheaper than the usual PCR tests., per Tech Times last month.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Joseph Henry