Breath Analysis of Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19 Using Infrared Spectroscopy

Breath Analysis of Patients Diagnosed With COVID-19 Using Infrared Spectroscopy

To analyze Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) in the breath of patients with SARS-CoV-2 and controls in SARS-CoV-2 breath specimens.

The study is a prospective cohort study, which enrol patients presenting to hospital and are tested for SARS-CoV-2. There will be two cohorts, COVID-19 positive and COVID-19 negative, who will have exhaled breath collection and analysis by infrared spectroscopy to characterize the composition of VOCs and identify differences in VOC profiles between the two groups.

Inclusion Criteria for Covid-19 positive patients:

• Clinically tested for SARS-CoV-2 (as completed by standard laboratory testing e.g. RT-PCR) with a positive result
• Clinical features in keeping with COVID-19 illness.

Inclusion criteria for Covid-19 negative patients:

• Negative RT-PCR COVID-19 test
• Without any clinical features to suggest COVID-19 illness.
• No known or current features of respiratory infection, COPD, asthma, interstitial lung disease, other respiratory inflammatory conditions or lung cancer.
• Able to provide a breath sample (as based on clinical judgement).

Exclusion Criteria for Covid-19 positive and negative patients:

- Unable to provide a breath sample