Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2: interim guidance, 11 September 2020

This document provides interim guidance to laboratories and other stakeholders involved in diagnostics for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). It covers the main considerations for specimen collection, nucleic acid amplification testing (NAAT), antigen (Ag), antibody (Ab) detection and quality assurance. This document will be updated as new information becomes available.

Changes from the previous version

The title of this interim guidance has changed from “Laboratory testing for COVID-19 in suspected human cases” to “Diagnostic testing for SARS-CoV-2”. Additional relevant background information and a clinical diagnostic algorithm has been added to the document. Furthermore, the guidance has been updated with new findings from the literature and best practices.