Why in news?
- The Union Minister of Health & Family Welfare visited the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) and dedicated the COBAS 6800 testing machine to the nation.
- This is the first such testing machine that has been procured by the Government for testing of COVID-19 cases and is installed at the National Centre for Disease Control.
COBAS 6800
- COBAS 6800 is a fully automated, high end machine for performing real time PCR testing COVID-19 in the service of nation.
- COBAS 6800 will provide quality, high-volume testing with a high throughput of test around 1200 samples in 24 hours.
- It will largely increase the testing capacity with reduction in pendency.
- COBAS 6800 is a sophisticated machine enabled with roboticsthat minimizes the chance of contamination as well as the risk of infection to the health care workers since it can be operated remotely with limited human intervention.
- As the machine requires a minimum BSL2+ containment level for testing, it cannot be placed at just any facility.
- COBAS 6800 can also detect other pathogens like Viral Hepatitis B & C, HIV, MTb (both rifampicin and isoniazide resistance), Papilloma, CMV, Chlamydia, Neiserreia etc.
