A fast point-of-care PCR test for infectious diseases, based on aerosol capturing

The COVID-19 pandemic quickly revealed the limitations of existing monitoring and diagnostic capabilities. While rapid antigen tests are not sufficiently reliable, PCR turn-around-time (TAT) typically ranges from hours to days. Standard swab-based tests are also cumbersome and invasive and, worse yet, they detect infection and not transmissibility. A reliable diagnostic test able to discern the infectious phase of COVID-19 could interrupt transmission while limiting isolation requirements. We developed a non-invasive, impaction-based method for capturing aerosols from human breath in one minute of sampling. A proof-of-principle system was used for the detection of viral RNA in breath samples from confirmed positive subjects (=29). A lab setup demonstrated compatibility with on-chip PCR, reducing the TAT to 15-20 minutes. Positive percentage agreement (PPA) between a breath- and nasopharyngeal PCR is 75% overall and 92% in the first 7 days of infection, after which the breath does not contain measurable virus anymore. Breath positivity corresponds to the infectious window. No false positives were noted. Diagnostic accuracy is superior to nasopharyngeal rapid antigen tests. This novel concept of aerosol capturing combined with ultra-fast PCR is proven to be effective to detect SARS-CoV-2 in breath, rivalling the standard nasopharyngeal PCR tests. Combined with a TAT on par with rapid antigen tests, the technology has the potential to become a standard test in the coming years, for COVID-19 or other infectious diseases. A validation study with an advanced setup is currently ongoing, first data should be available during the presentation.

The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher activity, development, career, and well-being: the state of the art

Purpose This paper aims to identify the documented effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on early career researcher (ECR) activity, development, career prospects and well-being. Design/methodology/approach This is a systematic literature review of English language peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2021, which provided empirical evidence of the impact of the pandemic on ECR activity and development. The search strategy involved online databases (Scopus, Web of Science and Overton);well-established higher education journals (based on Scopus classification) and references in the retained articles (snowballing). The final sample included 11 papers. Findings The evidence shows that ECRs have been affected in terms of research activity, researcher development, career prospects and well-being. Although many negative consequences were identified, some promising learning practices have arisen;however, these opportunities were not always fully realised. The results raise questions about differential effects across fields and possible long-term consequences where some fields and some scholars may be worse off due to priorities established as societies struggle to recover. Practical implications There is a need for revised institutional and national policies to ensure that sufficient measures are implemented to support ECRs' research work in a situation where new duties and chores were added during the pandemic. Originality/value This paper provides insights into the impacts of the initial societal challenges of the pandemic on ECRs across disciplines that may have long-lasting effects on their academic development and well-being.