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SINGAPORE – To rapidly detect and isolate asymptomatic Covid-19 cases among migrant workers, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the Ministry of Health (MINSA) have begun piloting the use of rapid antigen tests, that can give results in half an hour.
The new tests will be part of the existing routine testing (ERR) of workers staying in the dormitories, which has helped detect new infections among them.
Under the RRT, workers are already evaluated every 14 days using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. However, it takes at least a day for the PCR results to be obtained.
The pilot program comes as agencies look for ways to incorporate rapid tests into Singapore’s Covid-19 response, including the availability of rapid tests at certain mass events in the coming months.
On Sunday (October 25), Dr. Lam Meng Chon, medical director of MOM’s Assurance, Care and Engagement (Ace) Group that supports migrant workers and dormitory operations, said that this “helps break the chain of transmission and reduce the risk of spread within the bedrooms ”.
He added that by increasing the frequency of testing, they could detect positive cases that might otherwise have escaped.
The pilot, which began last Sunday (October 18), will involve about 1,000 workers who will be staying in the dormitory at SCM Tuas Lodge.
The rapid antigen test will be used as an additional test on the seventh day of the 14-day TRS cycle, to complement the PCR tests on day 14. This means that workers will need to test for Covid-19 every seven days during the pilot. .
Rapid antigen test results are posted in 30 minutes. A nasal swab is used to take a sample from the lower part of the nose.
However, such tests are less accurate than PCR tests, which are currently used to definitively confirm coronavirus cases and remain the most accurate tests available today.
Dr. Lam pointed out that due to the lower specificity of the rapid antigen test, a positive case is only a suspected case of Covid-19.
Those who test positive will be isolated immediately and sent for a confirmatory PCR test.
However, fewer close contacts will need to be quarantined, minimizing work disruptions for workers and employers.
The pilot will run for a period of four weeks before its effectiveness is evaluated. If it works well, it can be expanded and expanded to cover more migrant workers.
Ms Koh Guat Siew, vice president of human resources operations at Sembcorp Marine, said the company can take action sooner if test results are released sooner.
He noted that workers can quickly return to work if they test negative. “We can be sure that once a worker returns to work, the risk is minimal,” he added.
Workers said the long wait for routine PCR test results can be quite worrying.
Quality control technical engineer Sikder Masud, 34, who performed the rapid antigen test last week, said: “But with the (rapid antigen test), I can get results faster and it’s less fiddly. I also feel more secure when I go to work. ”
Last Tuesday, the Health Ministry said pre-event testing for Covid-19 will be a requirement at certain mass events in the coming months.
Participants will be required to take a rapid antigen test and obtain a negative result before they can enter, as part of a new pilot program aimed at helping Singapore resume more activities safely.
These tests can be performed at the event venue or at an off-site test facility.
Those who test positive should isolate themselves and opt for a PCR confirmation swab. They cannot leave their place of isolation until a negative result is received.
Large-scale events where rapid testing will take place will include business-to-business events, wedding receptions, live performances, and sporting events.
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