Singapore-based medical firm creates a quicker, non-invasive Covid-19 test using saliva | Malay Mail

Friday, 18 Sep 2020 07:03 AM MYT

Veredus Laboratories launched two new test kits yesterday. The tests can reduce the time taken to determine if a person has Covid-19 by up to 40 minutes. In this process, a nasal swab is taken from a patient by sticking a swab up his or her nose. The swab samples are then placed in a virus medium where it is sent to a laboratory. There, ribonucleic acid , which stores the genetic information of the virus, is extracted and then put through a PCR test to identify the presence of the Sars-CoV-2 coronavirus.

The saliva or swab samples are mixed with the buffer, which can then be put immediately through a PCR test. Through this process, the coronavirus can be detected within half an hour, or one-and-a-half hours at most.The test kit for nasal swabs, known as ZeroPrep Swab Buffer Kit, has been sold in Singapore and overseas since June this year, while the ZeroPrep Saliva Collection Kit is pending approval from the Health Sciences Authority here.

The Ministry of Health said in June that it was studying the feasibility of incorporating saliva-based tests into its testing regime.

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