RIL to fly in Israeli experts to detect COVID cases

Reliance signed the deal in January this year with Breath of Health (BOH) to distribute the firm’s swift COVID-19 breath testing system. The system developed by Israeli medical technology company identifies coronavirus carriers and patients in the early stages of the disease by exhalation and the results will be available within seconds. A mail sent to RIL remained unanswered. 

Reliance signed a $15 million deal with Israeli company Breath of Health (BOH) to distribute the company’s swift COVID-19 breath testing system in India. 

According to the agreement, RIL will purchase hundreds of systems from the Israeli company in a deal valued at $15 million and will use them to conduct millions of tests a month at a cost of $ 10 million per month 

BOH is said to have developed a breath test system that identifies COVID-19 at a success rate of over 95 per cent. 

Business portal Calcalist reported that BOH developed a breath test system that identifies Covid-19 at a success rate of over 95 per cent. Preliminary results from clinical trials it is conducting with Israeli hospitals Hadassah Medical Center and the Sheba Medical Center at Tel HaShomer have shown a success rate of 98% compared to the standard PCR test authorized by global medical organisations. The development of BOH’s system began two years ago and was initially meant to provide early detection for cancer, Alzheimer’s, and lung disease. The company’s scientists decided to focus on adapting the system to detect Covid-19 following the outbreak of the pandemic, recognizing that it could be a crucial tool in the fight against the virus until the arrival of the vaccines, the report said. 

BOH CEO Arie Laor said the company had operated under the radar to date in order to focus on its clinical trials and the development of its system. Laor added the agreement will help to accelerate the trials and that he is expecting results to be announced in the coming weeks.