New App Can Identify COVID-19 Based On The Sound Of Your Cough

Scientists have developed a new tool that they claim can accurately detect a coronavirus infection based on the sound of a person's cough. Researchers collected 8,380 audio samples of people coughing from patients in hospitals in Spain and Mexico and created an algorithm to analyze the audio.

They found the algorithm correctly identified samples of people with COVID-19 98% of the time. The researchers from the University of Essex hope that their new app will eventually make it easier for people to diagnosis themselves from the comfort of their own homes.

"We are delighted with the promising results of this novel screening tool, which could prove a real game-changer and essential addition to our arsenal of tools to combat the pandemic," said lead researcher Dr. Javier Andreu-Perez at the University of Essex's Centre for Computational Intelligence. "It is far less invasive than most other Covid-19 tests and also offers rapid results, paving the way to point-of-need pre-screening testing solutions."

They did not say when their app, named DeepCough, will be available for anybody to download and use. For now, they are focusing on testing the app and getting it approved by health officials. 

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