COVID Testing, page-26

Thanks for that captainblood, I do really appreciate your contributions to this forum. Below is another perspective about “fast testing” this time from Singapore. My daughter lives in Singapore and has drawn my attention to an “Address to the Nation” by the Prime Minister entitled “Covid-19 ‘New Normal’.(pmo.gov.sg).

Here are some interesting excerpts in relation to Rapid Antigen testing:

“if you visit a GP or poly clinic now with an acute respiratory infection, you will be given an ART in addition to a PCR test. Within. 30 minutes the ART will show whether you are likely to have Covid -19. If the result is positive you will be immediately isolated and a PCR test will confirm your diagnosis later....”

”As the virus mutates to become more transmissible, we must respond by testing more widely. We already do Rostered Routine Testing(RRT) in a number of higher risk settings, migrant worker dormitories, construction worksites, shipyards, sea ports, hospitals and nursing homes. With faster, cheaper tests we can do routine testing at more workplaces like offices, restaurants and shopping malls. We can also test individuals whose occupations involve close contact with many people, and could result in superspreading events, like taxi drivers, bus drivers, physiotherapists, masseurs, stage performers, sports and fitness instructors and educators could all be tested.

In short we are shifting our approach to testing. Henceforth, we will not only test to identify infections when a new case pops up. We will also routinely and regularly test people who appear well, in normal work or social and community settings to make them and these places safe.

Extensive testing will give us confidence to resume larger social events or gatherings eg we can deploy fast and easy tests before a religious service, a football game, a concert or a wedding reception and participants can be assured that the event is Covid-19 safe.

Therefore, you should expect routine, large scale, fast and simple testing to be part of our new normal.”

Goggo