Story By: Juan Fenandez Mayes,  Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency:  Newsflash

The Spanish police have started developing a scanning device that can detect the COVID-19 virus on surfaces that may appear clear at first glance.

The prototype is being developed by the Spanish organisation Technician Specialist in Deactivation of Explosive Artifacts, commonly known by its abbreviation TEDAX.

The design is part of a 500,000-EUR (435,815-GBP) project funded by The Carlos III Health Institute.

The public health research institute is integrated in the Department of Science and Innovation but also reports to the Department of Health when dealing with healthcare issues.

Images show the handheld device which resembles a pair of binoculars.

It is unclear if the prototype in the picture is functional and able to detect the virus on surfaces.

Local media said the authorities are working with several groups from universities and research centres in the autonomous community of Andalusia to develop the device.

Some of them include experts from the University of Seville, University Hospital Virgen Rocio, Biomedicine Institute of Seville and the Joint Research Centre among others.

TEDAX inspector Jose Navas told local media: “Its objective is to be able to see infected areas on different surfaces and materials which may appear clean at first glance.”

The National Police issued a statement saying their objective is to create “a portable prototype which would combine multispectral reading systems in the optic and terahertz range including digital optic analytical methods and artificial intelligence.”

The current status of the project is unclear.

According to the latest figures from Johns Hopkins University, there have been 184,948 cases of COVID-19 in Spain and 19,315 related deaths.

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