3-in-1 self-test kit for Covid-19 and flu A/B now available in Singapore (2025)

SINGAPORE – A self-test kit that you can use at home to check if you have Covid-19 or influenza A or B is now available to consumers here.

The three-in-one test kit looks and works like a Covid-19 antigen rapid test kit. It shows results for Covid-19 as well as the two common types of flu.

Results can be obtained in about 10 minutes with the use of a single nasal swab, said manufacturer CorDx.

CorDx general manager Angel Tan said the product – called CorDx Tyfast Flu A/B & Covid-19 Multiplex Rapid Test – was approved in Singapore for self-testing on Feb 14, 2025, and costs $9.80 on its online CorDxstore.

The product is also available at Watsons, Unity Pharmacy, National Healthcare Group polyclinics and National University Health System polyclinics, she said.

The CorDx self-test is not the only Covid-19 and influenza A/B combination test kit registered here, but it is the only one approved for self-testing.

According to the Health Sciences Authority (HSA), there are 10 such combination test kits registered here. Nine of these are professional use-only kits that should be administered by healthcare professionals, said a spokesperson.

Self-test kits usually have a simpler design with clear and straightforward instructions suitable for lay users. They are readily accessible and give quick results in the detection of infections, said the HSA spokesperson.

Requirements for these test kits align with international standards, said the spokesperson. The sensitivity of such devices – or the ability to identify positive infections – typically ranges from 80 per cent to 99 per cent.

The National Centre for Infectious Diseases said influenza A and B virus infections occur all year round in Singapore, with small peaks in the middle and the end or beginning of the year.

Dr Lim Wee Peng,medical director at Parkway Shenton, said the general practitioner chain has been using three-in-one kits since they were launched in 2023 to confirm suspected flu or Covid-19 infections.

These kits are primarily used for patients showing upper respiratory tract infection symptoms, particularly when accompanied by fever or elevated body temperature within the first few days of symptom onset, he added.

Without a test, it is hard to differentiate between flu and Covid-19 because many of the signs and symptoms are the same.

“A confirmed diagnosis of influenza A/B enables our doctors to prescribe targeted antiviral treatments, which can reduce symptom severity and duration when administered early,” said Dr Lim.

“For Covid-19, timely detection helps guide isolation protocols and further management.”

For the public, home testing offers convenience and rapid results, empowering users to differentiate between Covid-19, flu or common colds, he added.

Common colds are usually quite mild.

Dr Lim said a positive result for flu A/B should prompt individuals to seek early antiviral treatment at a clinic, especially if they are in high-risk groups, such as the elderly and those with chronic conditions.

For Covid-19, self-isolation and telemedicine consultations are advised, according to Ministry of Healthguidelines. In both cases, home testing reduces community transmission by enabling prompt action, Dr Lim added.

The CorDx self-test is authorised for home use, with self-collected anterior nasal swab specimens from individuals aged 14 and above, or with adult-collected specimens from children aged two years or older.

In the United States, there are several such tests available for self-testing.