The threat detection and security screening technology firm Smiths Detection recently confirmed its BioFlash air sampler detects a series of SARS-CoV-2 variants.
Officials said the detected variants include the Alpha variant, Beta variant, Gamma variant, the Kappa variant and the Delta and Delta plus variant.
“It has been a great asset to have this equipment at UMBC (University of Maryland, Baltimore County),” Mike Pound, the university’s director of Environmental Health and Safety, said. “As everyone knows, you need a layered protection strategy to combat COVID. BioFlash is easy and fast to use which makes it a critical part of our mitigation strategy to help prevent transmission.”
Officials indicated Smiths Detection is presently confirming the ability to detect the Lambda variant – adding earlier this year the firm announced BioFlash was capable of detecting airborne SARS-CoV-2 by the United States Army of Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases (USAMRIID), in addition to being used by several universities to stop the spread of COVID-19 following airborne detection in several campus buildings.
“Emerging variants are a threat to pandemic recovery; however, mitigation strategies that utilize BioFlash will have an advantage,”
Warren Mino, Smiths Detection managing director, said. “BioFlash works by collecting aerosols and identifies the presence of dangerous pathogens using sensitive, specific and rapid detection in near-real time without laboratory analysis.”
Mini said BioFlash can be used by anyone while providing immediate results in minutes while aiding the effort to stop the spread of COVID-19 and other airborne pathogens.