Scientists are working on a face mask that could detect Covid-19 — here’s how it works

Sensors in the mask could detect the presence of Covid-19 within one to three hours, much faster than standard testing 
A passenger wearing a mask walks along the platform at Vauxhall Underground station in London on May 14, 2020 after a partial loosening of the coronavirus lockdown guidelines
TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images
Amelia Heathman14 May 2020

Bioengineers at MIT and Harvard University in the US have been developing sensors that can detect viruses which would fit inside a face mask to alert officials that someone has Covid-19.

The team, led by Jim Collins, professor of bioengineering in the Department of Biological Engineering and Institute for Medical Engineering & Science at MIT and director of the Collins Lab, has been working on the sensors for the past six years, initially concentrating on using the tech to address the then growing-Zika virus threat. However, according to BusinessInsider, the team has since decided to adjust the tool to identify coronavirus cases.

At the moment, the scientists are developing a face mask that produces a fluorescent signal when a person with the coronavirus breathes, coughs or sneezes. With many countries ordering citizens to wear face masks when they go outside, such as in the UK and US, it could come in handy when identifying who has the virus.

“As we open up our transit system, you could envision it being used in airports as we go through security, as we wait to get on a plane. Your or I could use it on the way to and from work. Hospitals could use it for patients as they come in or wait in the waiting room as a pre-screen of who’s infected,” Collins told the publication.

The sensors use genetic material, DNA and RNA, which binds to a virus. This material is freeze-dried onto a fabric and will be activated when moisture, such as mucus or saliva is present, along with a specific virus’ genetic sequence. In this case, it would be the coronavirus, but the tech has been proven to work with SARS, measles and hepatitis C.

The sensor will then give off a fluorescent signal within one to three hours, which can only be seen with a device called a fluorometer. In the same way some countries monitor people’s temperature using handheld temperature scanners, officials could use these handheld devices to scan a mask. A diagnosis in one to three hours is a lot faster than the current Covid-19 tests which can take much longer.

Collins said the project is in the early stages, yet results have been promising. There are plans to prove the concept works, set up trials to see how it would work in real life, and then hopefully have the masks ready for the public to use by the end of the summer.

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“Right now we’re time-constrained and talent-constrained in that we’ve got a relatively small team. We’re limited in how many we can have in the lab working and they’re all working as hard as we can,” said Collins.

Covid-detecting masks are just one part of the arsenal that could help officials track and trace the spread of the virus which is necessary in order to help ease the lockdown in the UK. Vodafone UK recently launched thermal detection cameras for businesses which can scan the temperature of up to 100 people per minute entering a building. A high temperature is one of the main symptoms of Covid-19.

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As well, a new antibody test has been approved for use in the UK which looks for antibodies to see if a person has already had Covid-19 and may now have some immunity. However, the health minister Edward Argar said the government is not yet in a position to toll out the test.

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