New research: How blood plasma viscosity can contribute to COVID-19 diagnosis

A research team at MedUni Vienna has developed an exciting new method for diagnosing and monitoring COVID-19 that could be revolutionary for medicine. Using so-called Brillouin light scattering spectroscopy (BLS), scientists can
measure the viscosity of the blood plasma, i.e. its thickness, purely optically. This technology makes it possible to analyze the smallest amounts of plasma in less than a second and thus gain valuable insights into the health status of COVID-19 patients.

The study shows that differences in the viscosity of blood plasma vary significantly depending on the patient's body temperature. Abnormalities were found particularly at temperatures above 38 degrees Celsius, which may be associated with serious complications such as multiple organ failure.

In the future, this technology could enable more precise monitoring of COVID-19 patients and help develop individually tailored treatment measures. These new findings are another step towards better treatment and diagnosis of COVID-19 and other diseases.

Source: MedUniVienna

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