Harvard, MIT Researchers Develop Face Mask That Can Diagnose COVID-19 Within 90 Minutes

This could be a major scientific and technological breakthrough as MIT researchers, have, in the past, created paper tests for Ebola and Zika that essentially use the same core technology to detect infection.

A different version of the test uses CRISPR enzymes to detect target molecules and then change in color — similar to a pregnancy test. The enzymes are freeze-dried and can remain dormant for months. A tiny splash of liquid from the breath of an infected patient and these enzymes can be rehydrated to activate the sensor.

In one of the face mask prototypes, a small reservoir of water was also embedded within the mask. The person wearing the mask could simply push a button to launch the test and let the trained CRISPR enzymes analyze the droplets from their breath. This process entirely avoids the discomfort of employing a nasal swab, and therefore the system is extremely good at detecting the virus.

In the new study, the scientists showed that the wearable sensors could be embedded in several other fabrics too and be used to test for multiple pathogens. Clothing worn by soldiers, for example, could detect nerve agents. What's more is that the sensors in the masks - the enzymes in the masks, more specifically - are open to re-engineering to test for newer variants of the virus or any other pathogen too.

Peter Nguyen, a research scientist at the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University claims that these mask sensors are "as sensitive as the gold standard, highly sensitive PCR tests, but it’s as fast as the antigen tests that are used for quick analysis of COVID-19” and were already effective at diagnosing newly emerging COVID variants.