WHETHER WHAT YOU’RE TOUCHING IN
PUBLIC COULD BE A HOT SPOT FOR
CORONAVIRUS.
WE’RE GOING UP.
>> Reporter: FROM HANDRAILS TO
ELEVATOR BUTTONS, INDOORS AND
OUT, COULD THE CORONAVIRUS BE
HERE?
THIS NEW TEST LETS
NON-SCIENTISTS LIKE US FIND OUT
WHETHER ANYONE WITH COVID-19 HAS
TOUCHED OR BREATHED ON THE
SPACES WE’RE IN.
IT’S MADE BY SAN FRANCISCO-BASED
COMPANY PHLGAGEN, WHICH GAVE US
SAMPLES.
WE HAVE EXCLUSIVE ACCESS TO SHOW
YOU WHAT THE SURFACE TEST IS AND
HOW IT WORKS.
YOU TAKE A SWAB, DIP IT IN THE
SOLUTION, AND BASICALLY SWAB ANY
SURFACE THAT YOU WANT TO TEST.
WE’RE DOING THIS PLAYGROUND
STEERING WHEEL.
SNAP THE TOP OF THE SWAB OFF IN
THE SAMPLE TUBE, AND YOU’RE
DONE.
I SWABBED ALL OVER NEW YORK
CITY.
IN BUSY PUBLIC SPACES LIKE THE
SUBWAY, COFFEE SHOPS, AND THE
GROCERY STORE.
WE’RE GOING TO SEE WHAT’S ON
THIS CART HANDLE.
SEAT BELTS, PIN PAD, AND DOOR
HANDLES IN A TAXI.
TAXI DOOR HANDLE.
AND INSIDE AN UBER.
NOT PRETTY BURKS, BUT WE HAVE TO
CHECK.
EVEN INSIDE A PUBLIC RESTROOM.
ANOTHER GOOD SPOT, THE ELEVATOR.
WHAT ABOUT HIGH-TOUCH ITEMS AT A
RESTAURANT?
I WASN’T A I LOENLONE.
WE ENLISTED NBC NEWS PRODUCERS
FROM COAST TO COAST, SWABBING IN
FIVE STATES, INCLUDING HOT SPOTS
CALIFORNIA AND FLORIDA.
48 HOURS AFTER SHIPPING OUR
SAMPLES TO THE LAB, WE GOT THE
RESULTS.
ALL OUR SWABS FROM PENNSYLVANIA
AND NEW JERSEY CAME BACK
NEGATIVE FOR CORONAVIRUS.
NO TRACES OF THE VIRUS ON THE
TRAIN, AT THE DRUGSTORE, OR ON
THE MAIL WE SWABBED.
NOT EVEN THE CHAIR IN THE
PHARMACY WAITING AREA.
NO POSITIVES IN CALIFORNIA
EITHER, WHERE THE PRODUCER
SWABBED A GAS PURPOSE, BUS SEAT
HANDLE, AND THIS ELEVATOR BUTTON
IN AN OFFICE BUILDING.
BUT IN NEW YORK, TWO POSITIVE
HITS.
THIS GROCERY CART HANDLE CAME
BACK POSITIVE FOR SARS-COVI-2,
THE VIRUS THAT CAUSES COVID-19,
AND THIS SELF-SERVE BREAD BIN.
THE WORST WAS COVID-19 HOT SPOT
FLORIDA.
NEARLY 20% OF OUR SAMPLES FROM
MIAMI POSITIVE.
>> INSIDE ELEVATOR.
>> Reporter: OVERALL, 6% OF THE
SAMPLES WE TOOK INDOORS CAME
BACK POSITIVE, WHICH IS WITHIN
THE 5% TO 20% POSITIVE RATE PREDICTED BY THE COMPANY.
PREDICTED BY THE COMPANY.
WE SHARED OUR RESULTS WITH
EPIDEMIOLOGIST DR. GAUCHE.
>>
>> IS IT REASSURING TO THE
PUBLIC, THAT CORONAVIRUS ISN’T
IN ALL THE PLACES THEY THOUGHT
IT COULD BE?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
IT IS REASSURING TO KNOW THAT
SOME OF OUR PREVENTION MEASURES
ARE WORKING, AND WE’RE NOT
SEEING CORONAVIRUS IN PLACES
LIKE THE MAIL OR ON CERTAIN
PUBLIC RESTROOMS.
WHILE I’M DEFINITELY SURPRISED
BY THAT, I THINK THAT’S GOOD
NEWS.
>> Reporter: WHAT ARE THE
LIMITATIONS OF A POSITIVE
RESULT?
>> WELL, THE LIMITATIONS ARE
THAT YOU REALLY DON’T KNOW HOW
MANY OF THE VIRUS IS THERE.
YOU DON’T KNOW IF IT IS DEAD OR
ALIVE.
YOU DON’T KNOW IF IT CAN
ACTUALLY INFECT SOMEBODY OR NOT.
>> Reporter: CO-FOUNDER AND
INDOOR MICROBIOLOGY EXPERT GREEN
SAYS THE TESTS ARE USEFUL FOR
BUSINESSES TO MONITOR INDOOR
EXPOSURE TO COVID-19.
>> THE REAL POWER LIES IN
KNOWING WHETHER OR NOT YOU HAVE
INFECTED PEOPLE THAT ARE
ASYMPTOMATIC, THAT ARE SHEDDING
THE VIRUS IN CLOSED, INDOOR
SPACES.
>> Reporter: LIKE A POOL OR
NURSING HOME?
>> YES.
THIS TYPE OF TEST COULD BE USED
IN SCHOOLS AND NURSING HOMES,
HOTELS, RESTAURANTS.
>> Reporter: SHE SAYS IF YOU
REGULARLY SWAB A SCHOOL OR AN
OFFICE AND SEE A SUDDEN SPIKE IN
POSITIVES, IT CAN MEAN PEOPLE
THERE ARE INFECTED.
EVEN IF THEY’RE NOT SHOWING
SYMPTOMS.
>> THAT’S REALLY VALUABLE
INFORMATION IF YOU WANT TO CURB
THE SPREAD OF THE PANDEMIC.
>> REMEMBER, DOCTORS SAY
TOUCHING CONTAMINATED SURFACES
IS NOT THE MAIN WACOY CO-VID-19
SPREADS.
YOU’RE MORE LIKELY TO GET SICK
FROM A COUGH OR SNEEZE.
IN THE LARGE, INDOOR SPACES
WHERE YOU CAN’T MONITOR EVERY
STUDENT OR WORKER, THIS COULD BE
THE FUTURE.
IT IS NOT CHEAP.
10-PACK OF SWABS COSTS $400.
>> WOW.
>> OH, WOW.
>> YOU DID AN INTENSIVE
INVESTIGATION ON THIS THING.
SO DID YOU SEE ANY OVERALL
TRENDS WITH EVERYTHING YOU DID?
>> REMEMBER, THE RESEARCH SHOWS
US THAT THE VIRUS IS FRAGILE.
IT DOESN’T SURVIVE LONG IN UV
LIGHT OR OUTSIDE IN THE
ELEMENTS.
THE PLAYGROUNDS OR DOOR HANDLES
THAT GET SUNLIGHT, THEY WERE ALL
NEGATIVE.
THAT’S WHAT WE MOSTLY SWABBED IN
CALIFORNIA, THOUGH IT IS A HOT
SPOT.
THE GOOD NEWS, TOO, NONE OF THE
BATHROOMS, UBERS, TAXIS, PUBLIC
TRANSPORT ANYWHERE TURNED UP
POSITIVE.
WE TESTED THREE PHONES AND THE
OUTSIDE OF OUR MASKS AT THE END
OF THE DAY, WALKING AROUND IN
PUBLIC.
ALSO NEGATIVE.
THAT’S REASSURING FOR THE
PUBLIC.
WE HAVE MORE ON TODAY.COM,
INCLUDING HOW TO PROTECT
YOURSELF.
ALSO FINDING THE RIGHT MASK.
HOW DO YOU GO TO YOUR
APPOINTMENT SAFELY?
>> INTERESTING IN MIAMI, YOU SAW
THE HIGHEST NUMBERS, AND IT’S A