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SINGAPORE: A new mobile swab station (MSS) will make it safer and faster for health workers to screen migrant workers for COVID-19 in dorms.
The MSS is a rear-mounted Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) field ambulance with a transparent cabin with gloved holes for the tester’s hands. The tester sits inside the ambulance, while the migrant worker stands outside.
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The MSS is developed by the Defense Science and Technology Agency (DSTA), the Army Maintenance and Engineering Service, and ST Engineering.
The cabin is identical to the Swab Assurance For Everyone (SG SAFE) system at Singapore General Hospital that is being used in the hospital’s emergency department to reduce the risk of infection.
The ambulance is also equipped with a ventilation and filtration system that allows only clean air and drops to enter the pressurized cabin. The transparent shield protects healthcare workers from contaminated drops.
READ: COVID-19: 20,000 migrant workers to be laid off in late May, but dormitory cases likely to remain high
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MSS can also be implemented faster. Implementation takes approximately 15 minutes, compared to the 30 minutes required to set up the outdoor tents and tables that are generally used as test facilities in many bedrooms.
Since the MSS is essentially a vehicle, it can be redeployed at different sites faster, compared to packing and loading tents and tables in a separate vehicle.
A migrant worker undergoing a swab test at the MSS. (Photo: MINDEF)
The mobile station can be configured and operated by three people: the driver, the swab tester, and another worker to collect the swab sample. The team said that in addition to driving, it is intuitive enough to be operated by non-SAF personnel.
An MSS, operational since Monday (May 11), has been deployed in three purpose-built bedrooms, including factory-converted bedrooms, temporary construction rooms, and private residential premises.
High contact points of the MSS, such as the screen and gloves, are disinfected between patients and undergo a thorough cleaning at the end of the day. (Photo: MINDEF)
Whether more mobile swab stations will be deployed in more locations will depend on the operational needs of the interagency task force dealing with the outbreak in the dormitories.
“As the interagency task force expands its swab operations to unintended uses-
built dorms, there is a need to establish swab operations at different sites on a daily basis, “the Defense Ministry (MINDEF) said on Wednesday.
National Development Minister Lawrence Wong announced Tuesday that the 323,000 foreign workers who remain in the dormitories will be screened to make sure they are virus-free before resuming work.
Around 3,000 tests are currently carried out every day in the dormitories.
READ: Singapore reduces COVID-19 test capacity in recent days amid laboratory problem
MOBILE EXPRESS SCANNER
In addition to the MSS, Army engineers have developed a mobile express scanner (MExS) to reduce the time required for swab registration from four minutes to less than one minute.
Registration generally involves writing the details of a migrant worker, such as name, date of birth, and foreign identification number, in three places: a swab test request form, a swab sample manifest list, and a sticker to stick on the sample vial.
A migrant worker scanning his work permit on the mobile express scanner. (Photo: MINDEF)
Instead, healthcare workers can use MExS, a mobile phone scanner, to scan the worker’s work permit to automatically extract their data and store it in a secure central database. Swab labels can be printed and pasted on forms and vials.
As of Saturday, 10 of these scanners have been deployed at 38 sites across the island, covering some 2,000 patients.
A DSTA representative said there are plans to combine the two technologies.
“Our next step is to bring that registration desk to the cabin as well so that (fewer) people need to be outside and everything can be done inside the cabin,” said its head of capacity development (wheeled vehicles) Sebastian Lim of 45 years, .
READ: “We learned to smile with our eyes”: Doctors volunteer to care for migrant workers in dormitories affected by COVID-19
MINDEF said the team is also working on two more MSS prototypes by the end of June: a multipurpose vehicle (MUV, or large truck) equipped with a swab station and a 20-foot container equipped with three swab stations.
This allows SAF to better support national requirements in the fight against COVID-19, he added.
“We want to be able to expand our options because they are different applications,” Lim said. “The ambulance and MUV are very mobile. The containers can be used for a slightly longer deployment time with more cabins to make it more efficient as a system.”
Still, Mr. Lim said there is still room for improvement. “As we work with physicians to discuss their workflow, they actually give us a lot of suggestions on how we can reduce the workload and move,” he added.
READ: Migrant workers with isolated COVID-19 symptoms before testing to prevent possible transmission
DOCTOR ALUDA COMFORT
On the ground, leader of the medical swab team Captain (Dr.) Ivan Low, 26, said the MSS air conditioning and ergonomics create a comfortable working environment.
The most sterile indoor conditions mean that healthcare workers only need to wear masks and gloves, compared to full outdoor personal protective equipment (PPE) such as gowns and face shields.
“My team feels much safer operating from a clean environment,” said CPT Low. “This is made possible by the ventilation and filtration system that essentially transforms the cabin into a giant N95 mask.”
CPT Low said the migrant workers he has assisted seem “pleasantly surprised” by the MSS, adding that they feel the testing process is more efficient. “The vehicle seems safer for both them and the health worker,” he said.
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