Singapore authorises 4 COVID-19 antigen rapid test self-use kits

The Health Sciences Authority (HSA) in Singapore has granted interim authorisation for the following four antigen rapid test self-test kits- Abbott PanBio COVID-19 Antigen Self-Test (Unison Collaborative); Quidel QuickVue At-Home OTC COVID-19 Test (Quantum Technologies Global); SD Biosensor SARSCoV-2 Antigen Self-Test Nasal (Roche Diagnostics Asia Pacific); and SD Biosensor Standard Q COVID-19 Ag Home Test (SPD Scientific). These are antigen rapid tests (ARTs) that can be used by consumers (untrained lay-users) for self-testing to detect active SARS-CoV-2 infection in nasal swab samples. ARTs detect the viral proteins in the nasal swab samples of infected individuals and usually work best in the early stages of infection. In general, ARTs can achieve a sensitivity of about 80 per cent for cases with higher viral loads and a specificity range of 97-100 per cent. If a positive result is received from the self-test, users should follow the government’s guidelines on the next steps to take. As these tests are meant for use by consumers, they can be bought by consumers without a doctor’s prescription. HSA is working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to make these tests widely available through designated local retail pharmacies and will be made available at more retail locations progressively.