Already, the research team is working on a device that could also identify influenza and RSV.
Just in Time
I know it was a joke, but honestly covid will be a concern for a long time so having this technology is yeah, actually good.
Perspective: ready for the next pandemic with some tuning!
Yeah, everyone is acting like it’s over now but in reality we’re still incredibly vulnerable.
Unprecedented global population means unprecedented opportunities for dangerous mutations, and easy global travel means it can spread faster than any time in history.
Absolutely, lots of people still die from it, but I guess we’re below the threshold where it’s newsworthy, so people don’t see it or care. The mechanism for it to happen again still exists, but now we have strong resistance to safeguards from the start! I’m sure it’ll be fine! /s
High quality sarcasm.
This is fantastic, the downside of course, if the general population being taught by their governments that COVID isn’t to be feared, but lived with, and most importantly “worked through”. The capitalist system doesn’t function without it’s workers, and the corporations don’t want anything disrupting their bottom line, including covid mitigations, which is why you see Right Wing nutjobs telling everyone that COVID is over, and there was nothing to fear in the first place, while in the span of 12 months over One Million Americans died. Corporations, aided by the Right Wing bigots, don’t want COVID air detectors anywhere, as they would invariably detect COVID. Reminds me of that movie where the king said to save arrows, and send in the infantry, because arrows cost money, and people cost nothing.
The detectors don’t change anything about the governments sacrificing the populations’ health though. They’re back to work with no restrictions in any case.
Right, but as soon as you have a device that conveniently reduces a risk to a positive/negative signal, you introduced liability.
This tech won’t just die, it will be intentionally killed.
Removed by mod
my daughter has a health condition that means any illness is slight more risk to her. As our local hispital.happens to have a university bio science lab attached they isolate and check pathogens when she gets ill.
COVID-19 was only second worse (following one vaccination) to two adenoviruses that totally wiped her including one that was causing a rukus in the under local under 5as they had been isolated (as was strep a). She also had one of the coronovirus from 1943 and parainfluenza (no actual influenza as has yearly vaccine).
You’d think we would bubble but she has to live her life so we are careful (wash hands, avoid playdates when others are streaming ill) but if people are outwardly well we go to parties, cinemas, cafes, convention’s etc and if she gets ill that is fact of life. I do recognise the amazing work vaccines do too.
and you are nutjob on the other side. no, covid is definitely not just a cold.
i’ll take “worked through” over “having my front door welded shut by the govt”
As with most things policy related, there are more than two options, thankfully. I know. It’s hurts the brain.
The capitalist system doesn’t function without it’s workers, and the corporations don’t want anything disrupting their bottom line, including covid mitigations, which is why you see Right Wing nutjobs telling
good thing we have you, a left wing nutjob, to educate us.
what is your proposed alternative? to stop the word indefinitely? we are already living with a viruses among us and this will be another one. we will do all we can to mitigate the risks, but it will never be zero. c’est la vie.
As someone with immunocompromised family members this is great. I suspect this would be like an air quality alert in your area.
I imagine a text message could be available for your airport letting you know that Covid levels are high, allowing you to reschedule your flight or change your plans.
Reminds me of when UVA was testing whole dorm buildings sewage outlet for COVID and would lock the whole thing down if it were positive.
To be clear, I would love to have this in my home, just to know.
Very cool and useful.
Now watch it fade into oblivion because everyone is DoNe WiTH CoViD
I don’t think it isn’t just for covid. Well, currently it is, but with a few changes it could detect something else too.
“The device is equipped with a biosensor that does two things. First it takes advantage of tiny molecules obtained from llamas that stick exceptionally well to the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 to pull out any virus that might be present. Next, an electric current is passed through the biosensor and causes oxidation of a specific amino acid in the spike protein, the final reaction that verifies the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.“
So let’s say a new pandemic emerges, and we find out which proteins to use for identifying it. Why not modify the biosensor’s special molecule so that the device can detect whatever it is that happens to be bothering the world at that time. I think this detector has great potential.
Though it is just a detector, not a purifier. So all it really does tell you that someone in the room has Covid.
Do we all just do the Spiderman pointing meme when the detector goes off?
Or we have a waiting room in dentists/doctors offices, etc with these devices?
Still when it detects something it can make other ventilation or filters go to high. When the room is safe run the fans low power and noise. When there is something screw that.
