High-throughput digital cough recording on a university campus
Summary
4302 coughs were recorded from 960 participants over 11 weeks, requiring approximately 30s to check-in a participant and collect their cough. This study shows that acoustic screening at scale is possible, easy and quick to implement.
The study was conducted at Sewanee University, TN, USA, in early 2021 and focused on collecting cough acoustic signatures for respiratory disease screening. It involved around 2000 students tested weekly for SARS-CoV-2. The study recorded 4302 coughs from 960 participants over 11 weeks, all COVID-19 negative. The process took about 30 seconds per participant. The project's goal was to develop and implement reliable, quick acoustic screening tools, emphasizing the need for high-quality datasets and logistical insights. This study contributes significantly to acoustic epidemiology, especially in the context of COVID-19 and SARS-CoV-2 research
