The COBAS 6800 has been installed in the laboratory of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in New Delhi
India has just added a new weapon in its arsenal against the Novel Coronavirus (SARSCoV2). The National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has just installed a machine which can test 1200 samples in 24 hours.
The COBAS 6800 is a fully automated, high end machine for performing real time PCR tests not just to detect the pathogen of the Novel Coronavirus Disease (COVID2019) but a host of other disease causing agents. Several more such machines are in the process of being procured. Meanwhile the total number of COVID2019 cases in the country have gone up to 81970, including 2649 deaths. There have been 3967 cases and 100 deaths in the last 24 hours.
Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has just reviewed the current status of COVID-19 testing with Dr S K Singh, Director (NCDC) and senior officials. Highlighting the achievements in ramping up the testing capability, Dr. Harsh Vardhan said, “We have now developed a capacity to conduct 1,00,000 tests per day. Today marks an important milestone as we have tested nearly 20 lakh tests for COVID-19 mark at
more than 500 laboratories including 359 Government laboratories and 145 private laboratories in the country”.
Total number of COVID2019 cases in the country have gone up to 81970, including 2649 deaths. There have been 3967 cases and 100 deaths in the last 24 hours
He further added, “NCDC has been now equipped with the COBAS 6800, 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.” he stated that the machine requires minimum human intervention and
can be monitored remotely.
COBAS 6800 is a sophisticated machine enabled with robotics that 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 and C, HIV, drug resistant TB (both rifampicin and isoniazide resistance), Papilloma, CMV, Chlamydia, Neiserreia etc.
 in New Delhi){kind=link}