Residents in the Emirates and its Middle Eastern neighbours have successfully dealt with multiple waves of infections, armed with their smartphones and medtech gadgets. But this hasn't dampened the spirit of innovation to stamp out the pandemic, as new devices meant for testing and monitoring continue to emerge.

Researchers in Turkey have recently come up with 10-second test that is likely to replace the traditional PCR tests for covid, and the UAE has even tested breathalysers to detect infections. Abu Dhabi which recently started trials of hand-held scanners to spot symptoms, has now rolled out tech that reads faces for signs of covid.

The facial recognition system will consist of a camera paired with a smartphone device, which will screen people from a distance of five metres. It'll send a green signal to the handset if the person can be allowed to pass through, but a red signal will indicate that the individual may be positive.

Those who display signs of a possible infection will be stopped from entering public spaces, before being asked to undergo a PCR test within 24 hours. The mechanism to detect covid from the face, is currently being used by security staff at malls in the Emirati capital.

Its efficiency has been verified through a trial project, where the scanner was used on 20,000 Emiratis, and demonstrated a sensitivity of 90%. The invention is similar to upgraded smartwatches which can spot covid symptoms among users.

Innovators in the Middle East have also invented a gadget described as an electronic nose to screen people for covid, along with tech which flags possible infections after listening to a person.

Elsewhere, minor changes in the heart-rate are also emerging as indicators of a person having covid. Another app has been created to measure oxygen levels and stress levels, by using light and AI to scan the skin on a person's face within seconds.