Singapore approves a Covid-19 Breathalyzer

Singapore authorities have provisionally approved a Covid-19 breathalyzer test that aims to show whether someone is infected with the coronavirus in under a minute, according to the local startup that developed the product.

Breathonix, a spin-off company from the National University of Singapore (NUS), said it is now working with the health ministry to run a deployment trial of the technology at one of the city-state's border points with Malaysia.

The breath analysis will be carried out alongside the current compulsory Covid-19 antigen rapid test.

The system uses disposable mouthpieces and is designed to ensure there is no cross-contamination. After blowing into the device, the technology assesses the chemical compounds of the breath to determine whether or not a person is infected.

The Health Sciences Authority's website confirmed the approval, which the company said was the first such system to secure provisional authorization in Singapore.