Interim guidelines for collecting, handling, and testing clinical specimens for COVID-19 : interim guidelines for collecting, handling, and testing clinical specimens from persons for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Updated July 8, 2020Clinicians considering testing people with possible COVID-19 should work with their local and state health departments to coordinate testing through public health laboratories, or work with commercial or clinical laboratories using viral tests granted an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. CDC has guidance for who should be tested, but decisions about testing are at the discretion of state and local health departments and/or individual clinicians. Testing for other pathogens by the provider should be done as part of the initial evaluation, as indicated, but should not delay testing for SARS-CoV-2.Positive SARS-CoV-2 results should be reported. Read CDC\u2019s Data and Reporting FAQ for Laboratories.Clinical laboratories should NOT attempt viral isolation from specimens collected from people suspected to have COVID-19 unless this is performed in a BSL-3 laboratory.Summary of Recent Changes -- Specimen Type and Priority -- Collecting and Handling Specimens Safely -- Handling Bulk-Packaged Sterile Swabs Properly -- General Guidelines -- Respiratory Specimens -- Storage -- Shipping -- Additional Resources.2020796