We tested surfaces at Adafruit for COVID-19 with the Phylagen Surface. We informed our teams we were doing these tests, we did not know what the results would be, good news, zero! We had no detectable virus at Adafruit, every day we will keep it that way in every way possible.
We used a Phylagen Surface kit, we have nothing to do with this company. We are not connected in any way. We purchased the test/kit, we wanted to know if any surface has virus, and now we do. We tested 3 floors, dozens of locations, high traffic for people and more, all negative. We sent off the samples on a Monday and got the results on a Tuesday within 24 hours. This is another smart tool we can use each month or more as the fall approaches and to help keep our teams safe and informed.
We have a very intense sanitizing protocol – with: masks, gloves, eye protection, MERV-13 filters, ventilation, low-occupancy / staggered shifts. Physical distancing, our team has operated safe and smart from the start – we will keep doing these tests and more. There is a way to fight this virus, we are proof of that. In NYC, we got hit first and worst, and now we are operating safely, it’s possible.
Check out our open safely page – adafruit.com/opensafely
From Phylagen’s recent press release …
“Surface testing can help curb the spread of COVID-19 but it needs to be accessible,” said Dr. Jessica Green, Ph.D., co-founder and CEO, Phylagen. “Taking temperatures, wearing masks, social distancing, and testing symptomatic people isn’t enough; we need methods to identify asymptomatic spreaders, too. We’ve made Phylagen Surface™ user-friendly for the general public at an accessible price point so it can be part of the critical safety measures public spaces are adopting right now.”
Led by Dr. Jessica Green, a founder in the field of indoor environmental microbiology at the University of Oregon, Phylagen has been building the world’s largest environmental microbiome database since the company launched in 2015. With the coronavirus outbreak, Phylagen quickly converted their highly specialized technology into an easy-to-use product. In addition, by digitizing the genetic data contained in every surface sample, Phylagen uses artificial intelligence to build predictive technology that can anticipate a virus outbreak before it even occurs.
“Our economy can’t bounce back until we can safely get everyone back indoors,” said Dr. Harrison Dillon, co-founder, Phylagen. “A positive surface test in a business or school provides lead time to mitigate a spreading event. Phylagen Surface™ makes this critical technology available widely.”
New Technology Tests Common Surfaces For Presence Of Coronavirus – YouTube.
Phylagen Surface™ A Sensitive PCR Test for SARS-CoV-2 in the Environment June 2020 Bradford J. Taft, Nick J. Fantin, Katie Spring, Juan A. Ugalde, Vivian Yuen, Jessica L. Green – PDF.
On a related note, our Ladyada tested negative as well, she got a COVID-19 test on Sunday August 9, 2020 and the results came back within 3 business days. The test was done at CityMD in NYC, not too far from Adafruit (we walked there, was done in less than 15 mins).
Update – My results came in for this round within 4 business days (test on Sunday, results on Thurs).
