Fredericton company supplying COVID-19 test chemicals detects virus at home office

LuminUltra Technologies Ltd., the Fredericton-based company assisting in the production of millions of COVID-19 tests, detected coronavirus at its headquarters in the city's downtown last week.

Using an environmental test developed in house, LuminUltra staff detected "a trace amount of SARS-CoV-2 on a surface in a common area" on July 16, communications director Jessica Stutt said in an emailed statement to CBC.

"We immediately informed the Department of Health and have been following their guidance; all employees that have been in the area have been advised to self-isolate," Stutt said in the Friday email. "At this time no employees are symptomatic of COVID-19."

In a follow-up statement Monday, Stutt said the home office at 520 King St. was closed for a deep clean and "identified staff" were tested for COVID-19. All tests came back negative, and the workplace reopened Monday.

"The health and safety of our team remains our top priority and we will continue to use a range of available tools to monitor our facilities and help keep people safe," Stutt said.

Both LuminUltra and Public Health did not provide details about thenumber of employees tested, the numberasked to self-isolate, and whether the origin of the positive test was determined.

As of Monday, New Brunswick has five active cases in the province, including three in the Fredericton health region, known as Zone 3. Two of three were reported in the past 48 hours and said to be linked to a travel-related case.

Health department spokesperson Bruce Macfarlane said none of the Zone 3 cases are linked to the situation at LuminUltra.

LuminUltra is one of the tenants at HSBC Place in Fredericton. The building's landlord, Ross Ventures Ltd., did not reply to an interview request on Monday evening.

New test for surfaces

In April, LuminUltra signed a contract with the federal government to provide enough chemicals for 500,000 COVID-19 tests per week for the next year. The announcement came as provinces dealt with testing backlogs due to a shortage of supplies, including the chemical reagents required to complete tests.

The company developed an "environmental monitoring solution" in May to offer another layer of detection. Stutt said the environmental test uses the same technology in human testing to detect the virus in samples collected from surfaces, air, water and wastewater.

It's been marketed to the likes of the hospitality, manufacturing, entertainment and health-care industries.

Stutt said the company began testing surfaces at the head office to "maximize employee safety during these uncertain times."

Value of surface testing

The World Health Organization lists surfaces, or fomites, among the ways the coronavirus could be transmitted. It said individuals with the virus could leave infected droplets on surfaces that could be transmitted to other people by touching those surfaces then touching their eyes, nose or mouth before cleaning their hands.

"This is why it is essential to thoroughly clean hands regularly with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub product, and to clean surfaces regularly," the WHO website stated.

Earlier this month, the organization said there have been "no specific reports" of someone contracting the virus from contaminated surfaces, though studies suggest it can survive on surfaces for several hours or even days.

However, some health experts say the risk has been "exaggerated" and the "thinking has changed" now that more is known about the virus and accompanying respiratory illness.

The New Brunswick Department of Health is not convinced.

"At this time, the clinical value of surface sample tests for COVID-19 is not clear," Macfarlane said.

"There were no ill employees reported in this [LuminUltra] situation. There are no currently active confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the region associated with this situation. Therefore; routine public health recommendations for reducing the spread of COVID-19 such as staying home when ill and ensuring proper hand washing and cough/sneeze etiquette, continue to apply.

"Specific Public Health recommendations on isolation and environmental cleaning occur when there is a confirmed active case of human COVID-19 infection."

Expanding operations

LuminUltra chairman and CEO Pat Whalen, who was not available for an interview, told CBC News in April the company would be expanding its operations to meet demands of the federal contract.

It was setting up a second facility in Fredericton and adding upwards of 15 employees to the 75 already on staff.

The company, which operates in six countries, specializes in developing rapid-results biological testing primarily for environmental applications, such as water.

It largely does microbe testing for municipalities and industrial customers, including pulp and paper mills and oil refineries.