An instant gargle test for Covid-19 developed in Israel could soon be trialled at airports across Europe, its developer said this week.

To take the test, patients must spit mouth rinse into a test tube, which is then checked for coronavirus using an artificial intelligence-based device called SpectraLIT.

The test was found last month to have a 95 per cent success rate during an initial clinical trial led by Israel's largest hospital, the Sheba Medical Centre.

The Israeli manufacturer, Newsight Imaging, which recently partnered with the Tel Aviv hospital’s ARC Innovation Centre to market the test, said it can detect coronavirus in seconds. 

Newsight Imaging has now teamed up with the aviation security provider ICTS Europe to pilot the device across several airports in Europe to screen passengers for Covid-19.

The firm said it expects the tests will be widely deployed across airports after the pilot scheme. 

Its CEO Eli Assoolin said the technology could “enable a return to a normal lifestyle.”                                 

“Our solution for Covid-19 is currently in the process of receiving regulation approval and is ready for deployment in COVID-19 hot-spots such as airports,” Mr Assoolin said. 

“Our strategy is to enable a return to a normal lifestyle by selecting the best-in-class partners in each domain.”