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Tuesday, Sep 01, 2026

The phone app that could detect a Covid cough

The phone app that could detect a Covid cough

The prototype app compares the sound of your cough to more than 8,000 others recorded globally.

A phone app that could detect whether you have coronavirus by the sound of your cough is being developed by scientists at the University of Essex.

It is being created using more than 8,000 recordings of coughs from hospital patients around the world.

Once you cough into your phone, the app analyses its audio spectrum, picking up on differences undetectable by the human ear.

It has been trialled in remote areas of Mexico where regular Covid-19 testing is limited and it is hoped it could detect other viruses in future.


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