Allow use of Covid-19 breath analyser, govt urged

 

The Covid-19 breath analyser used in Singapore can give accurate results within a minute. (Reuters pic)

PETALING JAYA: A union leader and an economist have urged Putrajaya to allow the use of Covid-19 breath analysers to detect those infected by the virus.

They noted that breath analysers were being used successfully in Singapore and Indonesia and that they were cheaper to use overall than currently available test kits.

Barjoyai Bardai of Universiti Tun Abdul Razak said a breath analyser costs about RM3,000, with each test costing 15 sen only.

Bar, Restaurant and Hotel Union secretary general Rusli Affandi said saliva test kits – which the government recommends for use – cost almost RM40 each and are expensive for regular tests on staff.

“Hotels follow strict SOPs but due to the Delta variant, there have been cases where one staff member gets infected and passes it to almost half the total staff,” he told FMT.

He urged the government to recognise breath analysers, adding that it needed to look at all possible ways to help employers open businesses.

“There are too many jobless hotel staff and those who are still employed are getting infected,” he said.

Barjoyai said breath analysers were being successfully used at the Tuas checkpoint, the border crossing station in Singapore.

He claimed that several local companies had bought similar breath analysers to test their staff before entering the workplace but the authorities had yet to give the go-ahead for their use.

“Singapore is using it. It is no longer at an experimental stage. If Singapore and Indonesia are using it, why not us?” he asked.

He said that since those fully vaccinated could still be infected, it was best to use breath analysers at various premises such as shopping malls, supermarkets and factories to ensure the infected were detected immediately.

Residents associations could also raise funds to buy the gadget for those entering or exiting the premises.

“While Malaysians get vaccinated, the government could help businesses by approving this and allowing the economic sector to reopen,” he said.

In May, Singapore approved a breath analyser designed to detect Covid-19 and give accurate results within one minute.

In Indonesia, the breath analyser was developed by scientists at Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, central Java. The gadget, said to have 90% accuracy, is being used at train stations, airports and other public areas.

Indonesia has acknowledged it is less reliable than the existing PCR test, which is seen as the gold standard for detecting Covid-19 around the world, but said it can screen masses of people and detect those who are positive immediately.

It works much like a standard breathalyser test police use for drivers to determine their blood alcohol level. - FMT