We swap test surfaces in high traffic areas, such as door knobs, TV remote, elevator buttons, faucet handles, bedside tables, front desk, light switches, ventilation exits, soap/sanitizer dispensers, handrails, armrests, phones, or toilets.
Surface samples are collected by swabbing the targeted surface. The swabs are then placed into collection tubes that contain lysis buffer, which inactivates the virus and prepares it for testing when it is received at our accredited lab. Each tube is labeled with surface name that was swabbed. We use CDC- and FDA-approved highly sensitive methods to detect as little as 20 COVID-19 viral particles with confidence.
Your results are typically available within 24-48 hours.They are uploaded to our secure client portal.
Positive test results indicate the presence of viral particles and may indicate that the surface was contaminated by contact or proximity with an infected person. The presence of viral genetic material on a surface does not indicate that the most recent cleaning was improper, and can be due to other factors, including that the surface was re-contaminated by contact or proximity with an infected person.
Based on repeated measurements done on over 1,000 surface tests in more than 50 facilities, we know that the Surface Check has a higher and more reliable sensitivity than human testing (as of July 2020).
False-positive rate: We would incorrectly report that virus is present less in less than 5 out of 1000 tests.
False-negative rate: We would mistakenly report that there is no virus present less than 15 percent of the time.
This compares favorably with the human testing statistics, in which 20-30% of infected people receive a negative test result.
We found that approximately 25% of surfaces in “hot” facilities will show the virus. Therefore, testing 4 surfaces that are independent of each other allows you to catch ~70% of outbreaks. Testing 8 surfaces allows you to catch ~90% of outbreaks.