A post-stamp-sized device could catch the early symptoms of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), according to researchers from Northwestern University.
"The most recent studies published in the Journal of the American Medical Association suggest that the earliest signs of a COVID-19 infection are fever, coughing, and difficulty in breathing," said Engr. John Rogers from Northwestern University, who leads the technology development team for the soft patch.
A compact method of detecting the disease
The soft patch is a flexible device that is placed at the base of the throat. It has sensors that can measure heart rate, cough, and other factors related to COVID-19.
If the device detects any symptoms, it will alert healthcare staff about it. The data will be sent to a private server and used to create graphical summaries for healthcare professionals.
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The soft patch will send the data to a cloud account protected by the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) This data is then transmitted to what the researches call a 'HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act).
People don't need to visit the hospital for a preliminary COVID-19 screening. They can do it at home with the soft patch, saving them time and potential complications from the hospital.
Over 24 patients with COVID-19 are currently using the patch. The researchers are developing numerous soft patches in Chicago, Illinois, and are planning to expand to meet the demand of the outbreak.
Giving health workers a fighting chance
Engr. Rogers said to the Daily Mail, "Our device sits at the perfect location on the body — the suprasternal notch — to measure respiratory rate, sounds, and activity because that's where airflow occurs near the surface of the skin.'
The World Health Organization (WHO) said over 35,000 health workers have been infected. Most of the occupational risks involved in transmission include "sub-optimal adherence to infection prevention and control measures" and "long exposure in areas in healthcare facilities where large numbers of COVID-19 patients were being cared for."
Vox said social distancing is a key element in stopping the spread of the virus and flattening the curve. According to Prof. Ali Mokdad from the University of Washington, "Social distancing is working."
With the soft patch, researchers can pick up trends in their condition, "thereby providing an opportunity to engage in appropriate precautionary measures and to seek further testing as quickly as possible," according to the Daily Mail.
Engr. Rogers said in the Daily Mail that no one has done this before. "Earlier detection is always better and our devices provide important and unique capabilities in that context," he continued.
The soft patch was not intended for monitoring only. It was created so physicians may know how to treat the illness.
Engr. Rogers said," We hope, and we believe, that these devices may help in these efforts by identifying and quantifying characteristics and essential features of cough and respiratory activity associated with this disease."
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