U.S. FDA authorizes first COVID-19 diagnostic test using breath samples

LOS ANGELES, April 14 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization on Thursday for the country's first COVID-19 diagnostic test that detects chemical compounds in breath samples associated with a SARS-CoV-2 infection.

The test can be performed in environments where the patient specimen is both collected and analyzed, such as doctor's offices, hospitals and mobile testing sites, using an instrument about the size of a piece of carry-on luggage, according to the FDA.