What is Environmental Testing?
Environmental testing and monitoring is a proactive approach to Virus and Pathogen management including COVID-19.
Environmental testing complements human diagnostic testing and contact tracing. Due to a virus’ potential for a prolonged tenacity on surfaces, transmission through contaminated surfaces is an insidious route of exposure.
With the EnviroResults Test Kit, you can detect SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus within homes and facilities by swabbing hard surfaces like door handles, computers, mice, keyboards, phones, desks, etc.
Simply ship your swab back to us in our test kit and you will have your results within 24 hours of our receipt.
Testing with ImmuneBioScience is
easy, affordable, accurate and essential
- Testing is simple and effective bio-surveillance for exposure to COVID-19 in your business, facility, or home.
- Your customers will be reassured that by testing you are monitoring and managing any potential threat from COVID-19.
- Information about COVID-19 changes constantly so it is crucial that you monitor the effectiveness of your cleaning and disinfection through testing.
- If you did have exposure, testing clears your buildings post-exposure.
Early Detection
Through early detection and remediation, you can be proactive in your approach to protecting your employees, family, and customers from COVID-19.
Information about COVID-19 is constantly changing. Sources from early studies say that it can live on surfaces from 24 hours to 5 days depending on the surface. However, it can be carried and deposited by people who are asymptomatic. COVID-19 symptoms can take anywhere from two days to two weeks to manifest. During this incubation period, asymptomatic individuals can spread the virus to dozens of others before learning they are infected. Many people never become symptomatic or ill enough to seek treatment, remaining unaware they have even been infected. Exposed individuals may have already infected others by the time they are notified of potential exposure through reactive contact tracing.
Environmental monitoring provides a more proactive alternative. As people become infected, they commonly spread the virus to their hands, which then spread the virus to objects such as door handles, PIN pads, bathroom stalls, grocery carts, computer mice, phones, etc. These objects are known as “fomites”, or inanimate objects which carry and spread infections. Additionally, aerosolized viruses settle onto horizontal services such as desks, tables, and floors.
By testing these environmental surfaces, facilities can monitor whether anyone inside them is likely to be infected, and take management action such as increased hygiene protocols, recommending diagnostic testing for workers, or surgical closures.
Remediation
Once an individual is identified as infected with COVID-19, in addition to their isolation and treatment, a priority is to decontaminate and “clear” the facility, making it safe to re-open. Such remediation is nothing new—indoor air quality professionals routinely perform such disinfection for other threats such as mold. What is new is the ability to test for Coronavirus, and therefore to identify where remediation is needed, and demonstrate efficacy of disinfection efforts.
How it Works
COLLECT YOUR SAMPLES
Use the provided swabs with viral transport medium from your test kit to collect your samples. All samples should be packaged and labelled according to the sampling instructions included for your reference.
SUBMIT SAMPLES TO THE LAB
Be sure to fill out the sampling and chain of custody form included in the kit. Preferably, using the provided return label and FedEx envelope, send your packaged samples and completed chain-of-custody form back to our lab for analysis. Samples should ideally be submitted within 24 hours of collection.
RECEIVE YOUR DETAILED REPORT
The samples will be analyzed by qPCR in our lab to determine if genetic material from the COVID-19 virus is present. Accelerated Health will provide you with a detailed formal report on the results via email within 24 hours. Accelerated Health maintains confidential records of your results.
CONTINUOUS TESTING
While the first round of testing may be sufficient for some, many organizations are open to the public and may be subject to re-contamination. For these municipal buildings, schools, pharmacies, stores, and medical facilities you may wish to perform testing on a weekly or even daily basis to ensure that your team is being as effective as possible with their sanitation efforts.
WHAT’S IN THE KIT?
VIRAL SAMPLE COLLECTION SWAB
Transport System: Screw cap vial with TE (buffer solution) which is stable at room temperature
ADDITIONAL ITEMS:
SAMPLING INSTRUCTIONS: Use the Sampling Instructions as a reference for proper collection and packaging of your test samples.
CHAIN OF CUSTODY FORM
PRE-PAID MAILING LABEL
Once everything is ready, use the provided pre-paid mailing label to send the samples to our lab for analysis.