An artificial-intelligence algorithm that identifies individuals with Covid-19 based only on the sound of their coughs has been developed in the US.
The algorithm was created in a lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and in tests conducted so far it has achieved a 98.5% success rate amongst those who had officially been diagnosed with the coronavirus, with this rising to 100% for individuals who had no other symptoms.
Brian Subirana, an MIT scientist involved in the algorithms development said: “The way you produce sound changes when you have Covid, even if you’re asymptomatic.”
“Practical use cases could be for daily screening of students, workers and public, as schools, jobs, and transport reopen, or for pool testing to quickly alert of outbreaks in groups”
Though many researchers believe the algorithm could be helpful in tracking down positive Covid-19 cases, as well as reducing the spread of the virus, regulatory approval would be needed in order to develop it into an app.
