Covid-19 crisis Testing for the covid-19 virus
Somebody asked the questions - why does it take so long to test the foreign workers? Why can't we test the locals also? Why do we restrict the testing to only people with symptoms? Can we test everybody?

It is a question of numbers. The testing capacity is determined by:

a) The time required to complete on test
b) The number of testing equipments available, together with supporting workers
c) The number of test kits that are available.

 AStar, together with local hospital, has developed a test kit. It can complete its test in 10 minutes. However, this has not been approved yet.

Astar Fortitude Test Kit
Ten minutes to see the test results

It seems that the current test kits can complete a test in 2 hours.

Two hours to see test results

Let us assume that the 10 mins test kit is approved. One machine can handle 120 tests within a 20 hour shift. 

Assume that we have 100 machines, staffed with lab technicians working on shifts, we can handle 12,000 tests in a day.

To carry out the test for 300,000 workers living in dormitories, we need 25 days. 

I wonder if we have the capacity to produce the the components for 12,000 tests in a day.

If we have to test the entire population of 5.8 million people, it will take 16 months. 

I hope that we can increase the testing to reach 12,000 a day.

Tan Kin Lian

 

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