Coronavirus: Singapore says rapid antigen tests effective in detecting Omicron; Thailand sees first case linked to new variant
- Singapore, which has used ARTs to resume some large-scale events, said the tests will remain part of its strategy for dealing with the new strain
- Elsewhere, Australia’s New South Wales state has now found 25 Omicron cases, none of which have been hospitalised for treatment
Singapore has been closely monitoring studies on the sensitivity of rapid antigen, or ART, tests to Omicron, the new coronavirus strain first identified in southern Africa that is now being detected in other countries around the world.
The analysis so far has indicated that, in addition to PCR tests, ARTs can also be used to unearth Omicron, according to a statement out on Sunday.
Scientists globally are working with the World Health Organization to find out more about Omicron, whose emergence on the global stage has unnerved financial markets and raised questions over whether it will trigger a reversion to economically damaging virus containment moves like lockdowns.
The WHO said on November 26 that while it was clear PCR tests were able to detect Omicron, studies were ongoing on the efficacy of other types of tests, including rapid antigen ones.
Singapore has been using ARTs to resume some large-scale events, including the conferences the city was a hub for before the pandemic. From this week, it will also require travellers coming in via the island nation’s vaccinated travel lanes to be rapid tested on a daily basis using ARTs.
