Development of a Breathalyzer for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Variants

DISHIT GHUMRA, Nishit Shetty, Benjamin Sumlin, Carla M. Yuede, John Cirrito, Rajan K. Chakrabarty, Washington University in St. Louis

     Abstract Number: 203
     Working Group: Aerosol Science of Infectious Diseases: What We Have Learned and Still Need to Know about Transmission, Prevention, and the One Health Concept

Abstract
Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) is caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2). The COVID-19 pandemic has led to more than 6 million deaths worldwide and poses a significant threat to global health due to its long-term effects on the health of infected individuals. Accurate and fast testing in the early stages of infection is important to mitigate the community spread of COVID-19. In this work, we developed a breathalyzer for rapid detection of SARS CoV-2 which provides an alternative testing platform that is faster, affordable, and more efficient for mass testing than conventional viral diagnostics. We prototyped a device for the collection of exhaled breath condensate (EBC)—an effective and non-invasive method to collect breath—and coupled it with a nanobody-based electrochemical sensor to detect SARS-CoV-2. Inactivated SARS-CoV-2 particles were aerosolized using the Blaustein Atomizing Modules and subsequently sampled into the EBC collector; the gathered aerosols were then analyzed using square-wave voltammetry to detect an oxidation peak current that corresponds to the presence of the virus in a given sample. The device was successful in detecting all variants of concern up to BA.1. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) of the EBC indicated a virus detection sensitivity of ~10 virions/sample. The current diagnostic setup is able to generate test results within 60 seconds of breathing into the breathalyzer device, and it is highly promising for applications in places/settings that require mass testing such as airports and conference centers.