Building Environmental Consultants
Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) ENVIRONMENTAL SURFACE TESTING Service
What is the purpose of environmental surface testing?
In the current coronavirus outbreak, companies and health authorities are seeking solutions to
monitor the presence of SARS-CoV-2 (the Virus that causes COVID-19) in their environments in order to be able to implement immediate sanitation and other measures to protect the health and safety of employees and their environment. The test provides a unique opportunity to assess the need for cleaning and to document whether the cleaning has been performed adequately. The test is also relevant for suppliers to document that no infection has been left after delivery, repair and maintenance of machines and equipment. It will enable organizations in diverse industries to help test, determine, monitor and strengthen the effectiveness of sanitation measures put in place. Note that test results only reflect the moment in time the sample was collected from a surface.
Who should have the test performed?
Testing is of great relevance to manufacturing companies of all kinds, service providers, shops, clinics, cruise lines, hotels, restaurants and other such operations and spaces where the public or employees gather.
What surfaces should be tested?
The test can be done on all solid surfaces. The test is recommended to be used on surfaces
touched by many people, e.g. door handles, stair railings, shared keyboards, tables and table
edges.
How many swab samples should be taken for surface clearance?
Swab sampling on surfaces only provide a spot check of the surface sampled. The test design, including the number of swabs to be sampled, is best determined by the consultant. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that to increase the positive predictive value of the environmental sampling process, each sampling area may require multiple swabs.
Who at Building Environmental Consultants will be collecting the surface environmental samples?
BEC's full time on staff Certified Environmental Scientist will first prepare a Sampling Plan considering the client's needs, site conditions and budget. Our Certified Environmental Scientist will then collect the surface samples as outlined in the sampling plan approved by the Client.
What analytical services do we offer for testing SARS-CoV-2 virus in
environmental surface samples?
Building Environmental Consultants offers two surface sample service options for clients to choose from:
• Coronavirus (CoV) Screen
• SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) testing
Coronavirus (CoV) Screen test detects SARS related Coronavirus RNA i.e. SARS-CoV,
MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2 but does not differentiate between them. The SARS-CoV-2
(COVID19) test anylsis is specifc to the RNA from the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
Why do we offer two services for Coronavirus environmental surface testing?
We offer two services that cover two diferent sampling needs:
• Post cleaning verifcation: The most cost effective analysis is the “Coronavirus (CoV)
Screen” that answers this question. It looks for any SARS related coronavirus present
on a surface but doesn’t diferentiate between SARS-CoV, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2,
etc. This broader Coronavirus (CoV) testing for all SARS related Coronaviruses is
actually better, because you don’t want any of them on an environmental surface
post- cleaning.
• SARS-CoV-2 identifcation: This test for “SARS-CoV-2 (Covid 19)” can be requested as a
standlone anlyisis to specifcally only identify the presence or absence of SARS-CoV-2
RNA or as an add-on for samples that may have tested positive in the initial
Coronavirus (CoV) screening test.