Breath samples better than nasal swabs to detect Covid-19, Irish research shows

A new study published by researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, using breath samples, detected Covid-19 in 14 out of 15 patients who clinically appeared to have Covid-19 but whose swabs were negative for the virus.

Breath samples have been shown to be more reliable than nasal swabs for detecting Covid-19, a new study published by researchers at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland (RSCI) has shown.

The research, published in the British Medical Journal publication Thorax, is among the first studies globally to investigate the potential use of breath samples to detect coronavirus.