meREWARDS allows you to get coupon transactions and earn cash back when you complete surveys, meals, travel and shopping with our partners
Singapore: The Ministry of Health (MOH) announced on June 10 that starting from Wednesday (June 16), COVID-19 antigen rapid test (ART) kits for self-testing will be distributed to the public in pharmacies.
ART detects viral proteins in nasal swab samples from infected individuals and is usually best in the early stages of infection.
Four self-test kits have been temporarily authorized by the Health Sciences Administration (HSA) and can be sold to the public: Abbott PanBio COVID-19 antigen self-test, QuickVue home OTC COVID-19 test, SD biosensor SARS-CoV-2 Check the nasal cavity and SD biosensor standard Q COVID-19 Ag home test.
If you plan to pick some of them when they go on sale, here is what you need to know about these self-test kits.
Health Minister Wang Yikang stated on June 10 that from June 16 onwards, these kits will be distributed by pharmacists at selected retail pharmacies.
The kit will be distributed by the in-store pharmacist, which means that customers must consult with the pharmacist before purchasing. HSA said in its June 10 update that they can be purchased without a doctor’s prescription.
According to Quantum Technologies Global, the distributor of QuickVue testing, training will be provided to pharmacists on how to teach customers how to use the test correctly.
In response to CNA’s inquiry, a Dairy Farm Group spokesperson said that all 79 Guardian stores with in-store pharmacies will provide COVID-19 ART kits, including Guardian stores located at the Giant exit of Suntec City.
The spokesperson added that Abbott’s PanBioTM COVID-19 antigen self-test and QuickVue at-home OTC COVID-19 test will be available at Guardian outlets.
A FairPrice spokesperson said in response to CNA’s inquiry that 39 Unity pharmacies will provide test kits from June 16.
The spokesperson said that these stores are “specially selected” because they have “professional training” in-store pharmacists to evaluate customers’ suitability for ART kits and provide information on how to use them.
A spokesperson for the company said that the Abbot Panbio COVID-19 antigen self-test and Quidel QuickVue home OTC COVID-19 test kits will be available in all Watsons pharmacies during the first phase of the test kit launch.
In response to CNA’s inquiry, the spokesperson said that the self-test kit will be gradually expanded to more Watsons stores and Watsons online in the second phase.
Consumers will be able to find Watsons pharmacies using the store search option on the company’s website or through the store locator on the Watsons SG mobile app.
Kenneth Mak, director of medical services at the Ministry of Health, stated on June 10 that initial sales will be limited to 10 ART kits per person to ensure that “everyone has an adequate supply.”
But as more supplies become available for retail, the authorities will “eventually allow free purchase of test kits,” he said.
According to Watsons, pharmacies will comply with the kit price guidelines recommended by the Ministry of Health. The spokesperson said that depending on the size of the package purchased, the price of each test kit ranges from S$10 to S$13.
“We recommend that the public abide by the guidelines of up to 10 test kits per customer to ensure that everyone has enough test kits. We will pay close attention to demand and stock up to meet the needs of consumers,” the spokesperson added.
A FairPrice spokesperson said that detailed information on kit types and pricing is still being finalized, and more information will be provided soon.
A Quantum Technologies Global spokesperson said in response to CNA’s enquiry that from June 16th, Quantum Technologies Global will provide approximately 500,000 tests, and more kits will be shipped from the United States by air in the coming weeks.
Sanjeev Johar, vice president of Abbott’s Rapid Diagnostics Division in Asia Pacific, said that Abbott is “in a good position” to meet the demand for COVID-19 testing.
He added: “We hope to provide Singapore with millions of Panbio antigen rapid tests as needed in the next few months.”
HSA said in a June 10 press release that those using the self-test kit should use the swab provided in the kit to collect their nasal samples.
Then, they should prepare the nasal cavity sample using the buffer and tube provided. HSA stated that once the sample is ready, the user should use it with the test equipment and read the results.
The authorities stated that when testing, users should follow the instructions in the manual to obtain valid results.
The instructions for all four self-test kits may be slightly different. For example, the QuickVue test uses test strips immersed in a buffer solution, while the test strips manufactured by Abbott involve dropping the buffer solution onto the rapid test equipment.
“For children under 14 years of age, adult caregivers should help collect nasal samples and perform testing procedures,” Abbott said.
HSA stated that, in general, for cases with a high viral load, the sensitivity of ART is about 80%, and the specificity ranges from 97% to 100%.
Sensitivity refers to the ability of the test to correctly detect COVID-19 in individuals with it, while specificity refers to the ability of the test to correctly identify individuals without COVID-19.
HSA stated in a press release that ART is less sensitive than polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, which means that such tests “have a higher probability of false negative results.”
HSA added that using incorrect sample preparation or testing procedures during the test, or low levels of viral proteins in the user’s nasal samples—for example, one or two days after possible exposure to the virus—can also lead to false negative results.
Infectious disease expert Dr. Liang Hernan urged users to strictly follow the instructions on how to use the test kit and “to be exact.”
He added that a test done correctly will “have a similar sensitivity to a PCR test”, especially if it is repeated every three to five days.
“A negative test does not mean that you are not infected, but you are less likely to be infected with COVID-19,” Dr. Liang said.
The Ministry of Health stated that those who test positive for these self-test kits should “contact immediately” the swab and send them home to the Public Health Preparation Clinic (SASH PHPC) for confirmatory PCR testing.
The Ministry of Health stated that those who test negative on the self-test ART kit should continue to be vigilant and comply with current safety management measures.
“Individuals with symptoms of ARI should continue to see a doctor for comprehensive diagnosis and PCR testing, instead of relying on ART self-test kits.”
Download our app or subscribe to our Telegram channel to get the latest news about the coronavirus outbreak: https://cna.asia/telegram
Post time: Jun-18-2021