AI can detect COVID-19 infection just by coughing?

The MIT research team developed an AI that can prove whether you are infected with the Corona 19 virus, even if you do not have any other symptoms, as long as you tell the cough. To recognize subtle changes in cough caused by viruses.

Recently, many people think that they don’t want to approach if they don’t wear a mask. If you cough, keep your distance even immediately. However, knowing in advance that coughing is a simple throat weakness and cold may be a little relieved.

The MIT research team trained an AI model using samples of cough and usual conversations collected through websites and smartphones. If you turn on a cough sample like this, there is no subjective symptom, but it is said that the cough of a person infected with COVID-19 and cough without a cough was accurately identified with a 98.5% probability.

Prior to the outbreak of the Corona 19 epidemic, the research team has been conducting AI learning studies to diagnose pneumonia or asthma from coughing or conversation. In addition, AI models are being developed that detect signs of Alzheimer’s disease related to neurological vocal cord weakness through sound, and as the corona 19 infection begins to spread, the number of reports of neurological symptoms such as temporary neurological muscle disorders in infected individuals increases. It was considered that the corona19 infection could be distinguished by applying.

First, AI was trained to distinguish sounds for various vocal cord strengths and weaknesses, and AI was trained to distinguish conversational emotional states with a second AI. This was originally due to a study that detects the tendency of lack of emotional expression when there is muscle weakness due to Alzheimer’s and nervous system problems. Thirdly, it is possible to distinguish COVID-19 infection by overlaying a reinforced neural network using a cough voice database to check lung and respiratory changes with AI.

This AI is not a technology used to diagnose COVID-19 infection. In addition, even if AI diagnoses other diseases that cause cough, it will be difficult to determine COVID-19 infection. However, if the user himself suspects this possibility, it could be used for screening purposes to review whether or not to be tested.

The research team is preparing a more manageable app using this AI technology. When you cough, you can listen to it on your smartphone every day to see if it’s okay to go out. In addition, the research team also suggested the possibility of ending the epidemic by notifying users immediately when abnormalities appear by listening to coughs or conversations in the app every day. Related information can be found here .