Berita 24 English - Singapore authorities have provisionally approved a COVID-19 breathalyzer test that, according to the local startup tha...
Berita 24 English - Singapore authorities have provisionally approved a COVID-19 breathalyzer test that, according to the local startup that developed the product, aims to determine whether someone is infected with the coronavirus in less than a minute.
Breathonix, a spin-off from the National University of Singapore (NUS), announced that it is now collaborating with the health ministry to conduct a deployment trial of the technology at one of the city-border state's crossing points with Malaysia.
The breath analysis will be conducted concurrently with the current COVID-19 antigen rapid test requirement.
According to the company, the breath test achieved greater than 90% accuracy in a Singapore-based pilot clinical trial last year.
The approval was confirmed on the Health Sciences Authority's website, and the company stated that it was the first time such a system had been granted provisional authorisation in Singapore.
The system is designed to prevent cross-contamination by utilizing disposable mouthpieces. Following a person's blow into the device, the technology analyzes the chemical compounds in their breath to determine whether or not they are infected.
According to the company, individuals who test positive for COVID-19 will be required to undergo a confirmatory polymerase chain reaction (PCR) COVID-19 swab test.
Breathonix stated that it is in discussions with many domestic and international organizations regarding the system's use, citing strong commercial interest. Other countries, such as Indonesia and the Netherlands, have implemented similar breathalyzer programs.
