In a significant step forward in the fight against Covid-19, India’s Union Health Minister recently inaugurated the first automated coronavirus testing machine called ‘COBAS 6800’. This testing device, the first of its kind to be procured by the Government, is installed at the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
Key Features and Advantages of COBAS 6800
The COBAS 6800 is a fully automated, top-tier machine designed for conducting Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing, the standard test for diagnosing Covid-19. Its major advantage lies in its ability to provide high-quality, high-volume testing; it can test approximately 1200 samples within a span of 24 hours. This will significantly expand the country’s testing capacity.
Furnished with robotics, this sophisticated machine minimizes the chance of contamination and reduces the risk of infection to healthcare workers. However, the device requires a minimum Biosafety Level 2 (BSL2+) containment level for testing. Therefore, it was strategically placed at the NCDC.
BSL2+ are laboratories that work with agents associated with human diseases such as pathogenic or infectious organisms that pose moderate health hazards. Apart from Covid-19, the COBAS 6800 can also detect other pathogens like Viral Hepatitis B & C, HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), Mycobacterium Tuberculosis, Papilloma, Cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, Chlamydia (a bacterial infection), Neisseria (bacteria), and more.
Understanding the Role of National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC)
Originally established as the Central Malaria Bureau at Kasauli, Himachal Pradesh, in 1909, the National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD) was subsequently transformed into the NCDC in 2009. The reason for this transformation was to broader its mandate in controlling emerging and re-emerging diseases.
The NCDC functions as the nodal agency in India for disease surveillance and facilitates the prevention and control of communicable diseases. It is also a national level institute for training specialized manpower for public health, laboratory sciences, and entomological services. Apart from these roles, the NCDC is also involved in various applied research activities.
The Institute lies under the administrative control of the Director General of Health Services, Ministry of Health, and Family Welfare and has its headquarters in Delhi.
With the inauguration of COBAS 6800 at the NCDC, India opens a new chapter in its battle against Covid-19, ready to conduct high-volume testing with minimized risks of contamination and infection.
