Singapore, July 13 -- 19, there has been a global surge in demand for nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs, a key element in testing for SARS-CoV-2. Singapore is no exception. Commercially available NP swabs used in COVID-19 test kits are often out of stock due to supply chain disruptions.

To help address the global shortage, and to ensure Singapore has a sustainable supply of these swabs, two multidisciplinary research teams from the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a total of three swab designs that are comparable to the current 'gold standard' swabs.

A team led by Professor John Eu-Li Wong, NUS Senior Vice President (Health Innovation & Translation), Associate Professor Yen Ching-Chiuan, Co-Director of the Keio-NUS CUTE Cen...