Portable wireless device detects COVID and vitamin C

By simultaneously detecting the virus and vitamin C levels, the test could help individuals and their healthcare providers decide on more effective treatment options, the researchers said. Someone with low vitamin C levels may benefit from a supplemental boost, while someone with normal or high vitamin C levels may need to consider other options. The research is detailed in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. 

“There are several studies that show that vitamin C can help with managing the symptoms of viral respiratory infections like SARS-CoV-2,” said corresponding author Aida Ebrahimi, the Thomas and Sheila Roell Early Career Associate Professor of electrical engineering, of biomedical engineering and of materials science and engineering. “There are testing platforms for vitamin C, but they are bulky, expensive and not suitable for point-of-care, at home testing. Our device is portable, easy to operate and can detect vitamin C and SARS-CoV-2 simultaneously, with the option to add new target molecules to the same testing platform in the future.”