Using infra-red tech to predict severe Covid-19

This picture has been used for representational purpose

Researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay have developed a novel method of using infra-red technology to rapidly test which patients are most at risk of becoming severely unwell from Covid-19. The study was published in the journal Analytical Chemistry.

This study, is a collaborative effort between IIT-B, Kasturba Hospital in Mumbai, QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute in Australia and Agilent Technologies India. It was led by Prof. Sanjeeva Srivastava, head of the Proteomics Facility at the IIT-B. It was primarily funded by India's Science and Engineering Research Board, the Government of India, and a grant from the IIT.

Prof. Srivastava said, "The finding that there were chemical differences in more severe Covid-19 cases was consistent with published studies conducted in other countries. From our study, as well as previously performed mass spectrometry-based proteomics study, we can say that there is a correlation between blood chemical signature and becoming severely unwell with Covid-19. However, we can't conclude that slight differences in these chemical groups cause patients to become more unwell. We can only conclude that there is an association."

‘Beneficial to clinicians'

The test - which was performed with 85 per cent accuracy in a small pilot study of Covid-19 patients - could in future be used to triage patients in areas with large outbreaks of Covid-19. Dr Jayanthi Shastri, head of Microbiology Department, Kasturba Hospital said, "This kind of blood-based test will be beneficial to clinicians in determining severity of Covid-19 patients in India."