The Effectiveness of Armpit Sweat Odor with COVID-19 Detection Device for Detecting COVID-19

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a disease caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Diagnosis and screening for COVID-19 are crucial in controlling the disease. RT-PCR is used for diagnosis. However, this test is high-risk, time-consuming, and expensive. There is a need for specific non-invasive biomarkers to detect COVID-19 rapidly. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by the human body can be used to depict metabolic conditions. A COVID-19 detection device is an electronic device designed to differentiate and detect odors. This study aims to assess the effectiveness of armpit sweat odor with a COVID-19 detection device to detect COVID-19. This study was an observational analytic study with a cross-sectional design conducted on COVID-19 and non-COVID-19 patients in the special isolation ward of Dr. Soetomo Hospital and the outpatient clinic of the Indonesian Navy Hospital during April 2021-December 2021. COVID-19 examination using armpit sweat odor with a COVID-19 detection device. The results of the COVID-19 detection device and RT-PCR were then compared using the McNemar test. The general characteristics of the 168 subjects (81 COVID-19 patients, 87 non-COVID-19 patients) showed that the most common gender was male with the most common comorbidities being hypertension and diabetes mellitus. The results of the diagnostic test showed sensitivity and specificity of 88.9% and 97.7%, respectively with accuracy of 93.45%. The McNemar test showed no significant difference with the RT-PCR results. The results of RT-PCR were not different from the results of armpit sweat odor using COVID-19 detection device. Keywords: Armpit sweat odor, COVID-19, COVID-19 detection device, RT-PCR, VOC.