The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) authorized the first COVID-19 test that uses breath samples, according to NBC News.
The InspectIR COVID-19 Breathalyzer test has to be done by a trained operator, but the FDA said it can provide a result in around three minutes.
The test uses a technique called gas chromatography gas mass-spectrometry to detect chemicals associated with the virus that causes the disease in a breath sample; if the result is positive, the examination should be followed by a molecular test, the agency said in a statement.
"Today's authorization is yet another example of the rapid innovation occurring with diagnostic tests for COVID-19," said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "The FDA continues to support the development of novel COVID-19 tests with the goal of advancing technologies that can help address the current pandemic and better position the U.S. for the next public health emergency."
InspectIR expects to be able to produce approximately 100 instruments per week that can each be used to evaluate approximately 160 samples per day, the statement added.