Passive Detection- SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) A&M Breathalyzer (PROTECT Kiosk) for Operational Medicine

Emerging acute respiratory diseases (ARDs) pose a significant threat for the US military, especially among those in training environments where crowded living conditions and demanding multi-factorial stresses exacerbate infection exposure and suppress immunity, respectively. Consequently, ARD rates are routinely reported higher in recruits than older military personnel, which have a detrimental effect on operational readiness. Although significant steps, such as surveillance and vaccine programs, have been taken to minimize the impact that ARDs have on military recruits and newly mobilized troops, hospitalizations among recruits still exceeds that of comparable civilian population in the United States by at least 3- to 4-folds, accounting for almost 30% of all infectious disease associated hospitalizations. In 2018, respiratory infections like respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), accounted for an estimated 50,000 medical encounters affecting about \~35,000 recruits that resulted in 1,000 hospital bed days leading to significant loss in training time and cost. In addition to annual respiratory infections, the on-going COVID-19 numbers rising again, continues to threaten to further degrade operational readiness. Thus, inexpensive, rapid, and more reliable diagnostics are continually required to better treat and prevent ARDs to preserve military readiness and decrease disability adjusted life years. Current CLIA laboratory diagnostic procedures, such Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR), and bacterial cultures, are costly, time-consuming, and operator sensitive. It has become apparent that during the COVID-19 pandemic, these approaches were and continue to be insufficient in meeting diagnostic needs as they are difficult to scale-up and lack logistical flexibility. Furthermore, due to the invasive nature of active clinical sampling, there is a critical need for accurate and rapid passive surveillance as to screen for SARS-CoV-19 as well as other hazardous chemical and biological agents. To address this capability gap, the current project will: 1) modify and operationalize existing innovative passive surveillance systems that can be deployed in the near-term; 2) leverage revolutionary technologies that will enhance current diagnostic systems to meet mid- and far-term gaps in CBRNE gaps.