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New Covid-19 Test Kit Identifies First Positive Result In Indonesian Man At Seletar Airport

Singapore started using new test kits that were developed in response to the Covid-19 outbreak at all air, land and sea checkpoints on 5 Mar, and the move has seen results just 2 days later.

First announced in late Jan, the test kits boast an accuracy of over 99%, and guarantees results within 3 hours.

Test takes 3 hours to determine if a person has been infected
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Covid-19 test kit detected presence of virus in Case 147

On Saturday (7 Mar), the new test kit successfully confirmed its first case of Covid-19.

Minister for Manpower & Second Minister for Home Affairs Josephine Teo announced in a Facebook post on 9 Mar that the test kit helped detect the presence of Covid-19 in a man, designated as Case 147.

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Case 147 is an imported case from Indonesia

According to the Ministry of Health (MOH), Case 147 is a 64 year-old Indonesian man who arrived in Singapore on 7 Mar.

He experienced symptoms on 3 Mar when he was still in Indonesia, and had a fever when he arrived at Seletar Airport on 7 Mar.

Case 147 arrived at Seletar Airport with a fever on 7 Mar
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After undergoing a Covid-19 swab test at the checkpoint, he was admitted to the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) on the night of 7 Mar. He was confirmed to have Covid-19 on the morning of 8 Mar.

He is currently warded in an isolation room at the NCID.

Strict measures to detect imported Covid-19 infections

Besides managing Covid-19 infections within Singapore, we need to be aware of threats from the outside as well.

As per Mrs Teo’s Facebook post, it is now mandatory for all travellers arriving in Singapore who display signs of fever or respiratory illness to undergo a Covid-19 nasal swab test.

Travellers wearing masks at Changi Airport
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Confirming that the new test kits, which are used on the swab tests collected at checkpoints, work as intended is a step in the right direction for Singapore.

Identifying a case right at the point of entry to Singapore is half the battle won when it comes to mitigating the spread.

Hopefully these strict measures can help put an end to the Covid-19 outbreak in Singapore.

Featured image adapted from Facebook and AsiaOne.