03/02/2020: Lab Update: Laboratory Biosafety COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

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CDC's Laboratory Outreach Communication System (LOCS)

Audience: Clinical Laboratory Professionals

Level: Laboratory Update

Laboratory Biosafety COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions

Please note the CDC’s COVID-19 Information for Laboratories web page was updated on March 2, 2020.  This revision includes an update to the Laboratory Biosafety Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify practices for working inside a BSC and additional FAQs. These revisions include:

  • Using a certified biological safety cabinet (BSC) for specimen processing and what to do when a BSC is not available
  • Definition of Standard Precautions
  • Definitions for aerosols and droplets
  • Laboratory procedures that can generate aerosols and droplets

For additional information related to the Interim Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines for Handling and Processing Specimens Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), please refer to the CDC Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Laboratory Biosafety website.

The COVID-19 website is regularly updated as CDC learns more about COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Please check the website routinely to ensure your laboratory staff has the most up-to-date information. Consider asking your web developer or IT team to add CDC’s Coronavirus Disease 2019 Microsite to your website for real-time content updates, including the Information for Laboratories subsite.

Additional Resources:

If you have any questions, please contact us at LOCS@cdc.gov.

Laboratory Outreach Communication System | Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS)

Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS)

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

LOCS@cdc.gov

www.cdc.gov/locs