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. All laboratories should perform a site-specific and activity-specific risk assessment to identify