Scientists announce a mask that detects Covid-19 in 90 minutes

A face mask created by engineers at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), both in the United States, detects if a user is infected with the new coronavirus in about 90 minutes. The results were published in a scientific article in the journal Nature last Monday (28/6).

The engineers in charge say the technology has similar sensitivity to gold-standard (molecular) RT-PCR tests but with a time advantage — tests of this type take time for results to be revealed, while testing with a mask — which is made of paper — can be done within 90 minutes. Accurate.

The production cost is also attractive. Without taking into account the packaging, it only took 5 US dollars to produce the prototype, which is the equivalent of about 25 Brazilian reals.

How it works

To perform the test, the user must first use the mask for an average of 15-30 minutes. After this period, he presses a button on the outside of the device, and within about an hour and a half, the results appear on the inner face of the mask. The inside of the mask is lined with biosensors capable of detecting viral particles by breathing and respiration.