TEHRAN – Iranian researchers have managed to develop a system which can identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients through reactive oxygen species (ROS) in inflammation and tissue injury, IRIB news reported.

Reactive oxygen species are key signaling molecules that play an important role in the progression of inflammatory disorders.

The mechanism and basis of this device are based on the amount of ROS (reactive oxygen species) in the respiratory system. Virus replication and activation of the inflammatory system of the intracellular immune system against the virus are detected by a nanostructured sensor.

In addition to lower costs than conventional methods at significant speeds (30 seconds), this method can rank the test results in three suspicious, positive, and negative categories.

The research has been conducted in collaboration with Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, and the Motamed Cancer Institute and the Coronavirus Scientific Committee of the Ministry of Health in 4 months.

Tuberculosis, asthma, and cystic fibrosis can also increase ROS sputum, but due to coronavirus infection and fewer patients with these diseases, it can be useful for the diagnosis of asymptomatic patients.

This paper is published in the journal Bio Sensors and Bio Electronic with Impact Factor 10.5, which is one of the second most prestigious in the field of bioelectrochemical sensors in the world.

This project has been supported by the Nano Headquarters, the Vice Presidency for Science and Technology in the form of a knowledge-based company with the cooperation of professors and specialists of Imam Khomeini Hospital, Shohada Tajrish Hospital, Motamed Research Institute, and Coronavirus Scientific Committee.

Over the past 24 hours, 2,349 new cases of COVID-19 were identified in Iran, of whom 1,581 were hospitalized, the total number of patients in the country reached 259,652, Health Ministry spokeswoman Sima Sadat Lari said on Monday.

The number of daily COVID-19 mortalities in the country reported 203 on Sunday and the total number of deaths reached 13,032.

Currently, 3,375 patients with coronavirus are in critical condition. So far, 222,539 patients have recovered or been discharged from hospitals.

FB/MG