Jerusalem: An analysis of coronavirus patients' voices could yield a "vocal fingerprint" to help detect COVID-19 symptoms in others and prioritise testing and treatment, the Israeli Defence Ministry said on Tuesday.

Medical personnel scan a new coronavirus patient. Credit:AP

Starting this week, an Israeli startup company working with hospitals and academic institutions will sample voices of confirmed coronavirus patients through a mobile application in a research project led by the ministry.

"These voice samples will be analysed using an AI (Artificial Intelligence)-based algorithm in order to identify the unique vocal 'fingerprint', the ministry said in a statement.

The coronavirus affects the respiratory system and signs of distress can be reflected in the patterns of a person's voice and breathing.