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. 2022 Mar 30;5(1):39.
doi: 10.1038/s41746-022-00582-0.

Smart toilets for monitoring COVID-19 surges: passive diagnostics and public health

T Jessie Ge  1 , Carmel T Chan  2   3 , Brian J Lee  2   3   4 , Joseph C Liao  1 , Seung-Min Park  5   6   7
Affiliations

Smart toilets for monitoring COVID-19 surges: passive diagnostics and public health

T Jessie Ge et al. NPJ Digit Med. .

Abstract

Continued COVID-19 surges have highlighted the need for widespread testing in addition to vaccination for disease containment. SARS-COV-2 RNA can be found in faecal matter, making human stool another potential source for COVID-19 diagnostics. In this commentary, we highlight potential strategies to use a smart toilet platform to passively monitor COVID-19 surges, enabling earlier detection of infected individuals and promoting public health.

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Conflict of interest statement

T.J.G., C.T.C., B.J.L. and S.-m.P. are co-inventors of a provisional patent application filed by Stanford University on the subject of the work described in the paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. The COV-ID (Coronavirus: Integrated Diagnostic) toilet network for surveillance of COVID-19.
The COV-ID toilet will serve as a centralised diagnostic centre in essential businesses to detect COVID-19 infection amongst asymptomatic population and to facilitate early diagnosis and isolation. Stool sampling will be automated with quick turn-around time for viral RNA testing, and the toilet seat/surfaces will be sanitised in between users. The user will register with the health portal or a tracing network (can be performed on a mobile device while on the toilet), which will then alert them to their test results (ideally within 15 min), link them with the medical care, provide advice and guidelines from physicians for isolation. Aggregate data can also be used for population surveillance to assess community burden.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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