Yale Researchers Develop a Fresh Air Clip Capable of Detecting Virus
Researchers from the Yale School of Public Health recently developed a small, lightweight, inexpensive wearable device — the Fresh Air Clip — that is capable of detecting possible exposure to SARS-CoV-2.
The clip was developed to help individuals in high-risk settings to detect low levels of virus and identify exposure events early so that people can get tested or quarantine.
To create the clip, researchers used active air sampling devices to detect airborne SARS-CoV-2 in indoor settings but revised the use of those monitors, which tend to be large and expensive into a wearable device that doesn’t need a power source.
The clip was tested on 62 volunteers in homeless shelters, health care sites and restaurants. Volunteers wore the monitors for five days, and the highest viral loads were detected in two batches of restaurant servers.
The Fresh Air Clip is currently being used in other research projects and researchers have indicated the clips will be made available to the public in the future.
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