Turkish scientists started to work on developing a new test kit to detect the new coronavirus.
The team of researchers at Bandırma Onyedi Eylül University in Turkey’s Balıkesir province is planning to develop a landmark test kit to detect infections by scanning the user’s breath in only 15 seconds.
The university’s project is supported by the Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey (TÜBITAK) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). The university’s president, professor Süleyman Özdemir, told Ihlas News Agency (IHA) on Tuesday that they recently received an endorsement from TÜBITAK and that it would be a joint project with the NSFC.
“Swab tests are used for coronavirus detection currently, but with a breath test, more accurate results will be acquired,” he said. “This device will resemble the breathalyzer used by police against drunk drivers. TÜBITAK will produce sensors and the NSFC will provide a data set for the project. China will help to collect breath samples both from COVID-19 patients and those not infected. It is a globally significant project and will be used not just for coronavirus but for detecting similar diseases,” he said.
Turkish scientists have been working on test kits since the beginning of the pandemic. In September, scientists at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University announced that a new test kit that gives results in just eight minutes was developed by its scientists.
