Nosa Testing offers Covid-19 surface and environmental testing for SA businesses

As employers prepare to welcome their workforces back to work, concerns about surface and environmental contamination will be top of mind. Businesses across every industry sector, including restaurants, hotels and schools, are looking for peace of mind in terms of compliance, occupational health and safety, and have a social responsibility towards employees and customers to create a clean and safe environment.  

Nosa Testing Laboratories, an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory facility, can now carry out surface and environmental sampling for the detection of Coronavirus S gene specific to Covid-19, in accordance with the World Health Organisation (WHO) protocol for health care and public health.

Nosa Testing can help SA businesses detect the presence of Covid-19 using its RNA virus determination realtime PCR method. Nosa Testing has more than 20 years’ experience in diagnostic and zoonotic analysis.

Analysis is performed by competent professionals registered with the Health Professions Council of SA (HPCSA). These laboratories meet the current biosafety and biosecurity standards according to the OIE Standards for biological risks, and all testing takes place in a BSL2 testing environment, which is a minimum requirement recommended by WHO.

Nosa Testing Covid-19 environmental PCR will assist SA business by:

• assisting businesses reopen and reduce economic and social loss;
• working with disinfectant efficacy projects;
• reducing the high probability of employees and customers contracting Covid-19; and
• verifying that cleaning and disinfectant programmes are effective.

How does Nosa Testing carry out Covid-19 analysis? 

• Testing is carried out using YOUSEQ Covid-19 Multiplex qPCR kit, imported directly from the UK.

• Nosa Testing methodology of analysis will provide two sets of results, namely: E gene, which detects coronaviruses (Envelope protein); and S gene specific to Covid-19 (Spike protein).

• Covid-19 results will be reported within 48 hours from date of sample receipt.

For more information relating to sample analysis and fees, contact Dionne Rauff (technical contact) on +27 83 341 5045/ dionne.rauff@nosa.co.za or Keshav Beachen (commercial contact) on +27 71 442 9418 / keshav.beachen@nosa.co.za. 

Disclaimer: Though the above-mentioned test is currently not accredited, it will be performed in an ISO 17025-accredited laboratory, (by competent HPCSA-registered professionals). Consultations have been made with relevant government departments.

This article was paid for by Nosa Testing Laboratories.