Interim Guidelines for Biosafety and COVID-19: Interim Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines for Handling and Processing Specimens Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Sept. 19, 2020

Details

• Corporate Authors:
  National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (U.S.). Division of Viral Diseases.
• Description:
  Updated Sept. 19, 2020
  
  Summary of Recent Changes
  
  Revisions made on September 19, 2020 include:
  
  • New link under Resources to DLS Preparing and Supporting Laboratories Responding to COVID-19 page
  
  Revisions made on August 7, 2020 include:
  
  • Standard Precautions
  
  Revisions made on July 16, 2020 include:
  
  • Added DOT resources to Specimen Packing and Shipping and Resource section
  
  Revisions made on July 13, 2020 to update:
  
  • Language for virus isolation
  
  Revisions made on June 3, 2020 include:
  
  • Added anatomic pathology guidance for COVID-19
  
  • Updated Point-of-Care testing guidance for COVID-19
  
  Revisions made on May 11, 2020 include recommendations for:
  
  • Point-of-Care testing guidance for COVID-19
  
  Until more information becomes available, precautions should be taken in handling specimens that are suspected or confirmed for SARS-CoV-2. Timely communication between clinical and laboratory staff is essential to minimize the risk incurred in handling specimens from patients with possible SARS-CoV-2 infection. Such specimens should be labeled accordingly, and the laboratory should be alerted to ensure proper specimen handling. General and specific biosafety guidelines for handling SARS-CoV-2 specimens are provided below. For additional information on handling SARS-CoV-2 specimens, refer to the Laboratory Biosafety Frequently Asked Questions.
  
  General Guidance -- Routine Viral Testing -- Anatomic Pathology -- Decentralized and Point of Care Testing -- Procedures with a High Likelihood to Generate Droplets or Aerosols -- Environmental Specimen Testing -- Virus Isolation -- Decontamination -- Laboratory Waste Management -- Specimen Packing and Shipping -- Resources.
  
  
• Subjects:
  Clinical Laboratory Techniques Containment Of Biohazards Coronavirus Infections/diagnosis COVID-19 COVID-19 Testing Respiratory Tract Infections/diagnosis Safety Specimen Handling
• Series:
  Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
• Document Type:
  Text
• Genre:
  Guideline
• Collection(s):
  Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library
• Main Document Checksum:
  urn:sha-512:ef7233fd1e3e2e82f4aec8dba63679b1463e3171931a9e62d8578366ba1f33678062d209a5fa7b8599963557e677968b02bae3038a185b914d51fa93522f4cf8
• Download URL:
  https://stacks.cdc.gov/view/cdc/94206/cdc_94206_DS1.pdf
• File Type:
  [PDF - 108.58 KB ]