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Covid-19 could track itself in the voice

American researchers have analyzed voice recordings of patients with the new coronavirus. According to them, the infection would affect the voice well, even in asymptomatic people.

Covid-19 ? Est-il possible de détecter l’apparition du virus dans la voix des patients ? C’est à cette question qu’une équipe de chercheurs du laboratoire Lincoln du Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) a tenté de répondre. En effet, les chercheurs ont trouvé des preuves de biomarqueurs vocaux, ou d'indicateurs mesurables, de la maladie dans des enregistrements vocaux de patients. “These biomarkers come from disturbances caused by infection in the movement of muscles through the respiratory, laryngeal and articulatory systems.“, Explain the researchers.” Data-reactid = “24”> Certain infections, such as the common cold, can affect the voice and make it lower. But, is this the case for Covid-19? Is it possible to detect a virus in patients’ voices? A question that a team of researchers from the Lincoln Laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) tried to answer, because the researchers found evidence of voice biomarkers, or measurable indicators, of the disease in patient voice recordings. ”These biomarkers come from disturbances caused by infection in the movement of muscles through the respiratory, laryngeal and articulatory systems.”, Detail the researchers.

Covid-19 and then used algorithms to extract characteristics of the vocal signals from each audio sample. “Data-reactid =” 25 “> Indeed, the inflammation of the system Respiratory affects the intensity with which the air is breathed out when a person speaks, so the infection would have an impact on patients’ voices even if they have no symptoms of the disease.This air interacts with hundreds of other potentially inflamed muscles on its journey to speech production. These interactions have an impact on the volume, pitch, stability and resonance of the voice – measurable qualities that form the basis of their biomarkers”, Details the study. The scientists then listened carefully to five speeches by people who tested positive for Covid-19 and then used algorithms to extract characteristics of the speech signals from each audio sample.

Screening applications

technology program at Harvard University. Thanks to their observations, the scientists noticed that the inflammation with Covid-19 could cause an excessive coupling of the muscles thus impacting the voice of the patients. “Data-reactid =” 27 “> To study the movements in the larynx, they have measured the pitch and stability of the voice, two indicators of the stability of the vocal cords. ”These vocal characteristics serve as proxies for the underlying movements of speech production systemsSays Tanya Talkar, Ph.D. candidate for the speech and hearing biology and technology program at Harvard University. Thanks to their observations, the scientists noticed that the inflammation with Covid-19 could cause an excessive coupling of the muscles thus impacting the voice of the patients.

Covid-19. Selon l’étude, cette découverte peut permettre d’élaborer des applications mobiles permettant de dépister les personnes atteintes par le virus et, notamment, les patients asymptomatiques." data-reactid="28">These preliminary results suggest that biomarkers derived from the coordination of the vocal system may indicate the presence of Covid-19. According to the study, this discovery could make it possible to develop mobile applications making it possible to screen people affected by the virus and, in particular, asymptomatic patients.

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