Professor Invents Breath Monitor To Detect Flu MARCH 7, 2017 It’s a revolutionary device that makes it possible to diagnose flu cases at home. University of Texas Arlington Professor, Dr. Perena Gouma, invented a flu breathalyzer. “I think it’s going to save a lot of people a lot of trouble, and a lot of money,” says Dr. Gouma. “Now, someone has to go to the doctor’s office, and the virus can infect other people. It might be an unnecessary visit if they don’t have the flu.” Methodist Mansfield Medical Center ER Physician Ashkan Bidgoli says the method to diagnose the flu virus takes around half an hour. “Right now basically we’re using a nasal swab to detect the flu in all ages,” says Dr. Bidgoli. “It can be uncomfortable and cumbersome, especially for younger kids.” With the breathalyzer, sensors (smaller than a grain of rice) zero in on a chemical in the breath. Dr. Gouma says it can pinpoint the virus in just milliseconds. READ MORE Now this is an invention that can be of real use to everyone. The only problem I see is that many Doctors will still probably want you to come in and pay them the money to say you have the flu!
I giggled when I saw the title Babs - I've always known when I have flu 'cos its going around and I have the symptoms Over here, the docs don't want to see patients with colds and flu, they say it can't be treated with antibiotics and what they would prescribe we can get at the pharmacy
I know what you mean @Patsy Faye I can usually self diagnose on things like the flu, bronchitis, and even pneumonia but here in the United States many Doctors want you to come in so they can be the one to say you have it. There are prescriptions to help keep you comfortable and shorten the time you are sick over here, but they don't work for everyone. As for a regular cold, over the counter stuff just helps keep you comfortable until it runs its course So many people are afraid to miss to much work that they used the meds to cover their symtoms so they can work...but all that does is help them carry those germs to others in the workplace and then alot more people get sick. When I worked in a Public Daycare parents were always bringing their sick children but they would dose them with over the counter stuff that would hide their symtoms of fever, cough, etc. until the stuff wore off in 4-8 hours and we would know those kids should have never been brought in that day....but by that time the germs were already spread to the other children and us workers too. Almost every one of my paychecks ended up being paid to my Doctor and for the prescriptions he or she had to write me when I would get what the children were down with. I finally quit public daycare and opened my own at home daycare and I am proud to say the children I took care of at my home hardly ever got sick...nor did I. I know I would buy a flu monitor if it isn't to expensive. Right now I have one granddaughter down with strep throat and our youngest granddaughter down with pink eye and ear infections.
I'd buy one also. Even though it's bronchitis I have now, I never want to be this sick again so I've decided to get the flu shot shot next year. I thought I was invincible because I never seemed to catch anything my grandsons had and I wasn't even careful around them when they were sick. At the drs yesterday, they put a mask on me...that was a first and I didn't like it.
Sometimes when you take the flu shot you will have mild flu symtoms for a day or two. I always have these mild symtoms because of my allergies when I take the shot...but some tylenol usually takes cares of that for me. I've had bronchitis many times Chrissy and it isn't a pleasant thing to have at all...for me the cough lingers so long afterwards that I felt like I was never going to be well.
I did get the flu shot once when I volunteered at the hospital here and didn't experience any side effects...don't know if I would with another one but I'm willing to take the chance.... I may have had Bronchitis but I don't remember having it but yep, I'm miserable and everyone says the cough lingers...