Amid Covid-19 outbreak, Pentagon creates SENSOR to detect presence of infections from under your skin

Medical researchers working for the Pentagon said they’ve created a sensor that is placed under the skin to identify flu-like viruses before the first symptoms, which could be helpful in curbing Covid-19 outbreaks.

UPDATE: This article was updated to reflect that DARPA created a sensor and not a microchip, as previously stated. Furthermore, the text was amended to stress that the technology does not identify the type of virus, but only aims to alert about the presence of an infection.

Retired Army Col. Dr. Matt Hepburn, an infectious disease physician, told ‘60 Minutes’ that the technology acts like a ‘check engine light’ for people, but does not track their every movement, which has been central to online conspiracy theories about coronavirus vaccinations.

The sensor was developed by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), which operates under the Pentagon. Hepburn’s interview was conducted on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, where last year over 1,200 crew members tested positive for Covid-19, something Hepburn claims this invention could prevent in the future.

The technology, which is not in widespread use beyond the Defense Department, is embedded under the skin in a tissue-like gel and continuously tests the recipient’s blood for evidence of a virus. Once detecting the distinctive changes in oxygen levels or heart rate, it alerts the carrier that they must immediately get a blood test. This will then allow the type of virus to be determined, as the sensor merely alerts the person as to whether some type of infection is present or not. 

“It’s a sensor,” Hepburn said. “That tiny green thing in there, you put it underneath your skin and what that tells you is that there are chemical reactions going on inside the body and that signal means you are going to have symptoms tomorrow.”

He went on to claim that the early detection technology could help “stop the infection in its tracks.”

Another bit of technology highlighted during the ‘60 Minutes’ segment that could directly affect viruses like Covid-19 was a dialysis machine that would be used to filter and detox blood, and then reinsert the blood into a patient until the virus is removed from the body.
A military spouse referred to as ‘Patient 16’ reportedly went through this process after going through a serious illness that caused septic shock and organ failure. After four days of treatment, researchers claim she made a full recovery.

“For us, at DARPA, if the experts are laughing at you and saying it’s impossible, you’re in the right space,” Hepburn said.

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