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SARS-CoV-2 variations are keeping us on our toes in our fight against COVID-19. WHO announced in late November that there is a Variant of Concern (VOC), Omicron, with 32 mutations in the spike protein. This is about double that of the Delta strain, which is currently dominating COVID-19 infections around the world.

Aggressive vaccination programmes are underway in ASEAN, even as new variants appear on the horizon. What do we know about these variants and the challenges they pose to sero-conversion in a vaccinated population, longevity of host immunity, and achieving the ‘holy grail’ of herd immunity? Earlier estimates for achieving herd immunity to SARS-CoV-2 were 60-70%. The new estimate is 80-90% due to the spread of SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant, according to a report from Infectious Diseases Society of America on Aug 3, 2021. In this webinar, we will discuss ongoing vaccination efforts using various vaccines, challenges posed by mutating virus and possible approaches to eventually achieve herd immunity to SARS-CoV-2. Additionally, the webinar will introduce the ASEAN Serosurveillance Study for COVID-19 Vaccines. The study is coordinated by ASEAN Dx Initiative and supported by Temasek Foundation.

SARS-CoV-2 has been continuously mutating. The delta variant is now the dominant variant globally, and the lambda variant has already spread to 29 countries. Details about the evolution of the virus are analysed by epidemiologists to advise about incidence, distribution, and control of diseases. Understanding the evolving genome sequences of SARS-CoV-2 informs participants two important things – how the virus is mutating and how it is moving through the population. In this webinar, we will introduce the use of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) for virus variants surveillance. With public health interventions adjusted accordingly, we can control the rampant spread of new variants through the country and globally

SINGAPORE – MP Biomedicals Asia Pacific Pte Ltd, a diagnostic corporation which has been operating for over 30 years focusing on various infectious disease testing development and manufacturing, today announced the successful development of a rapid antibody test kit for COVID-19, in collaboration with the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR). Named as the ASSURE® SARS-CoV-2 IgG/IgM rapid test, or ASSURE® in short, the test kit detects antibodies produced by the human immune system in response to exposure to SARS-CoV-2. It produces accurate results in as little as 15 minutes, and employs a lateral flow format similar to those used in home pregnancy tests. ASSURE® was developed and manufactured in Singapore. It can be deployed at or near the point of patient care, and has been distributed to regions such as Europe, Africa and South America. MP Biomedicals intends to file for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US FDA for this product as well.

Under Singapore’s chairmanship of the ASEAN Ministerial Meeting on Science, Technology and Innovation, and the ASEAN Committee on Science, Technology and Innovation, ASEAN had seen stronger Science, Technology and Innovation (STI) collaboration, notably in intra-ASEAN capabilities to combat COVID-19 and future pandemics.

Viral RNA detection through RT-PCR is WHO’s recommended confirmatory test for SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, many countries faced challenges in ramping up RT-PCR testing capacity, such as shortage of swab sticks, transport media, RNA extraction reagents and costly platform equipment. The testing demands have led to the development of alternative PCR protocols with similar sensitivities to relieve the testing load. In this webinar, we discuss how using direct PCR test can manage COVID-19 testing demands.