ECU researchers discover new way to detect coronavirus through building ventilation systems

Researchers at East Carolina University’s Brody School of Medicine have found a new way to detect the virus that causes COVID-19 by testing the air passing through building ventilation systems. The discovery could lead to earlier detection of the virus, improved quarantine protocols, reduced transmission and fewer outbreaks.

Dr. Sinan Sousan, an assistant professor in Brody’s Department of Public Health and Research Faculty at North Carolina Agromedicine Institute, and expert of environmental and occupational airborne exposure, and Dr. Rachel Roper, a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology with an extensive background studying coronaviruses, spearheaded the effort to learn whether SARS-CoV-2 could be detected through the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems in student dorms.

Their research was recently published in The American Journal of Infection Control, and represents a breakthrough in the way the virus can be detected before an individual tests positive.

Note to Media: Dr. Sinan Sousan and Dr. Rachel Roper will be available to speak with the media from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 10. Contact Natalie Sayewich at sayewichn16@ecu.edu to schedule an interview time. High resolution photos and video are available to media at https://news.ecu.edu/story-ideas/#airborne.

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Contact: Natalie Sayewich
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