Could a breathalyser help detect COVID-19? Indonesian scientists say they've developed one
ABCIndonesian scientists have developed a simple breathalyser test that they say can electronically "smell' coronavirus and detect infection in under two minutes. "We need faster screening to prevent people getting infected," Indonesia's Minister for Research and Technology Bambang Brodjonegoro said. "They're able to detect volatile compounds — that's how they use them to test for explosives, and they've already trialled them, testing for COVID-19 as well," she said. Indonesia has struggled to meet the World Health Organization's minimum recommendation of one test for every 1,000 people per week. The country has struggled to meet the World Health Organization's minimum recommendation of one test for every 1,000 people per week — or 270,000 people in a population of 270 million.