Corona tests with Bischoff+Scheck’s mobile laboratory

Bischoff+Scheck AG, the special-vehicle manufacturer, together with the Fraunhofer Institute for Biomedical Engineering (IBMT) has developed a mobile test laboratory, the "MobiLab", to carry out COVID-19 tests, antibody tests and vaccinations. The intention is to use the "MobiLab" to test for COVID-19 at companies, public authorities, professional sports clubs and hospitals among other places, and to carry out mass tests. The laboratory fulfils all the necessary technical and medical requirements including personnel, to test up to 400 people per day for antibodies and to perform swab/PCR tests. In the event of a positive antibody test result indicating an acute infection, a swab can be immediately taken from the person in question and a clarifying PCR test performed in the laboratory. The results of the antibody test are available in just a few minutes, and the results of the PCR diagnostics – used to detect the pathogens – are available within a few hours. By using the "MobiLab", medical resources that were partially withdrawn from the health-care system during the pandemic can be returned to their intended use and tasks. The "MobiLab" will be available from mid-August 2020 and can be rented, leased or purchased. The Corona App can only be supplied with information when sufficient testing has been carried out to obtain results.

This type of mobile testing for the first time offers the possibility of testing larger groups of people on company or public-authority premises and obtaining the results shortly afterwards, thereby providing certainty as to whether anyone has been infected, and if so, who is infected, who is not infected and who is acutely infected. The tests are intended to prevent individual work absences through to complete production stoppages, and to provide the certainty that no infected employees are working. The intention is also to identify infected persons/groups of persons at an early stage. The fact that samples are taken under the same medical, spatial and technical conditions means that the results are comparable.

The laboratories are to be used not only for vaccinations and blood sampling, but also for major events and disaster-relief operations where laboratory capacity and treatment rooms are needed quickly, and can be technically upgraded to security level S3 in order to test for "undefined pathogens" such as viruses, bacteria, fungi and parasites.