STC Offers Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Surface Swab Test

【Hong Kong，20 April 2020】The last few months have seen the novel coronavirus COVID-19 placing severe restrictions on everyday life in Hong Kong as it continues to wreak havoc around the globe. Governments around the world are clamoring to take measures to fight this pandemic. Sadly, the death toll iscontinuing to hit new highs. To counter this threat, every possible precaution and preventive measure should be adopted.

In response to such an imperative, STC is introducing a Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Surface Swab Test (“the Surface Swab Test”), which is aimed at providing an effective low-cost means to assess and monitor the potential risks of the COVID-19 virus in our daily living environment. Through the use of this new test service, invisible high-risk environments can be detected at an early stage so as to reduce the risk of outbreak in our community, including shopping malls, event venues, work places, apartments, homes and so on.

The Surface Swab Test Kit adopts reagents and test methods recommended by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It uses the cutting-edge technology of PrimeStore® MTM extraction reagent in accordance with the safety guideline of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and CDC. Only several simple steps are required to collect a sample of suspected contaminated surfaces, for instance, elevator buttons, handrails, door-handles, faucets, electrical switches, etc. The reagents packed with the Surface Swab Test Kit kill viruses and other pathogens in advance, and the whole process is safe and fast. Samples should be returned within five days after sampling. STC’s laboratory will test and extract RNA with a one-step real-time RT-qPCR testing procedure. The test result will become available in 72 hours.

As an independent third-party testing organization, our Research and Development team is dedicated to developing innovative testing services to serve our community.  As Hong Kong’s leading testing organization, STC is fully committed to our social responsibility. Through the introduction of this new service, STC aims to make available its expertise in testing to work together with all Hong Kong people to protect lives and maintain public hygiene during the global coronavirus pandemic.