WITH winter fast approaching, many of us have already been hit with runny noses, coughs and fevers.
And a number of different winter illnesses could be to blame – including flu, Covid-19, rhinovirus (otherwise known as the common cold).
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Because the symptoms are similar, it can be difficult to distinguish between illnesses caused by respiratory viruses.
But now scientists say a new test could determine whether or not you have flu – and it comes in the form of chewing gum.
The new test, a molecular sensor, has been designed to release a thyme flavour when it comes into the contact with the virus.
Researchers reporting in ACS Central Science say they plan to incorporate the sensor into gum or lozenges to increase at-home screenings and potentially prevent pre-symptomatic transmission of the disease.
Lorenz Meinel, a Professor for Pharmaceutics and Biopharmacy at Wurzburg University, Germany, and his colleagues said they looked to address flu detection shortcomings “by switching away from complex detectors and machinery and toward a detector that is available for anyone, everywhere and anytime: the tongue”.
The molecular sensor the team developed releases a flavour that human tongues can detect – thymol, found in spice thyme.
It’s based on a substrate (the natural environment in which an organism lives) of an influenza virus protein called neuraminidase.
Influenza viruses use neuraminidase to break certain bonds on the host’s cell to infect it.
So, the researchers synthesised a neuraminidase substrate and attached a thymol molecule to it.
Theoretically, when the synthesised sensor is in the mouth of someone infected with the flu, the viruses lob off the thymol molecurels, and their flavour is detected by the tongue.
After developing the sensor, the researchers conducted lab tests with it.
In vials containing human saliva from people diagnosed with flu, the sensor released thymol within 30 minutes.
Meinel and the team hope to start human clinical trials in around two years to confirm the sensor’s thymol taste sensations in people with pre- and post-symptomatic flu.
If incorporated into chewing gums or lozenges, “this sensor could be a rapid and accessible fire-line screening tool to help protect people in high-risk environments,” said Meinel.
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According to the NHS, flu symptoms come on very quickly and can include:
- a sudden high temperature
- an aching body
- feeling tired or exhausted
- a dry cough
- a sore throat
- a headache
- difficulty sleeping
- loss of appetite
- diarrhoea or tummy pain
- feeling sick and being sick
Currently, a nasal swab test, known as a rapid influenza diagnostic test, is used to detect flu.
The tests work by detecting a flu virus protein in fluid from your nose, and you can get the results in under 30 minutes.
These can be purchased from pharmacies and online.
What to do if you’ve got flu
Flu will often get better on its own, but there are some things you can do to help you get better more quickly.
- rest and sleep
- keep warm
- take paracetamol or ibuprofen to lower your temperature and treat aches and pains
- give paracetamol or ibuprofen to your child if they’re distressed or uncomfortable – check the packaging or leaflet to make sure the medicine is suitable for your child, or speak to a pharmacist or GP if you’re not sure
- drink plenty of water to avoid dehydration (your pee should be light yellow or clear)
A pharmacist can give treatment advice and recommend flu remedies.
Be careful to take paracetamol and flu remedies that contain paracetamol at the same time as it’s easy to take more than the recommended dose.
Flu can make some people seriously ill.
Call 999 or go to A&E if you:
- get sudden chest pain
- have difficulty breathing
- start coughing up a lot of blood
Source: NHS
