Local Covid-19 Detector to be Used as Main Screening Tool in Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia is planning to make GeNose, a locally made Covid-19 detector, as the main screening tool to detect the coronavirus in the country, an official said on Saturday, January 30.

“We are currently promoting GeNose to be the main screening tool but this is not a diagnostic tool,” said Indonesia’s Research and Technology Minister and National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN) head Bambang Brodjonegoro during a webinar held by the University of Indonesia’s Alumni Association (Iluni UI).

GeNose, which was invented by the experts from Yogyakarta-based Gadjah Mada University (UGM), has been approved for distribution by the Ministry of Health recently. The machine, which uses artificial intelligence, will detect the Covid-19 infections through the human breath. The results will be completed in about 80 seconds.

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Bambang said it is hoped that GeNose could be used as an early detector for Covid-19 in crowded places to contain the spread of coronavirus.

The government is scheduled to provide GeNose in all train stations starting from Jakarta and Yogyakarta areas on February 5. Then it will be added gradually to the ports and airports.

“The use of GeNose is to ensure that the people in a certain area have tested negative for the coronavirus, not those who have infected,” said Bambang.

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Besides GeNose, he added, the government will also promote the use of a rapid antigen product developed by the Padjadjaran University (Unpad), known as CePAD as part of the Covid-19 screening tools in Indonesia.

With these two screening tools, Bambang hoped that early detection of the coronavirus could be done more easily and affordable as it is produced in the country.

“Both GeNose and CePAD could provide screening test that is easy, cheap, fast, and also accurate,” said Bambang.

(Writer: Yohana Artha Uly | Editor: Erlangga Djumena)

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2021/01/30/194400726/pemerintah-bakal-jadikan-genose-alat-screening-covid-19-utama-di-ri.