Scientists of Brown University in the United States have developed a Bubbler device, which is able to effectively detect coronavirus RNA and diagnose COVID-19. This is reported in an article published in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics magazine.
bubbler performs reverse RNA transcription (that is, the RNA conversion in DNA) from viral particles exhaled by the patient. It is also able to provide additional information, such as a viral load and a virus strain.
For testing the device, 70 patients were examined to be treated in the emergency department of the Rod Island Hospital from May 2020 to January 2021. During the study, samples of three respiratory points were tested. Slap with the language and samples of air, exhaled for 15 seconds, compared with a stroke of nasopharynx for PCR test.
The results showed that SARS-COV-2 can be easily detected in exhaled air, and Bubbler is suitable for predicting the lesion of the lower respiratory tract. According to scientists, the device more efficiently reveals coronavirus than strokes from the nasopharynx, since the lower respiratory tract is characterized by a higher viral load compared to the upper, especially at pneumonia.