Lower respiratory tract specimens
(1)Bronchoalveolar lavage, tracheal aspirate
-2 to 3 mL should be collected in a sterile, leak-proof, screw-cap sputum collection cup or sterile, dry container.
(2)Sputum
-The patient should rinse his or her mouth with water and then expectorate deep cough sputum directly into a 50-mL sterile, leak-proof, screw-cap sputum collection cup or sterile, dry container containing 3 ml of sampling solution.If the sputum is not collected in the sampling solution, 2-3 ml of the sampling solution can be added into the tube before testing in the laboratory.

Refer to below for specifics. Sputum is a relatively hard specimen to process, and as GG COVID-19 Real Time RT-PCR kit has been approved for use in sputum specimens, this leaves more flexibility for the lab. This is because the specimen may be collected by a non-medical individual, if submitted to the laboratory directly within the designated timeframe.

[embeddoc url=”https://cellgenemedix.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/Sample-Processing.pdf” download=”all”]

Refer to: Interim Guidelines for Collecting, Handling, and Testing Clinical Specimens from Persons for Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/guidelines-clinical- specimens.html
Refer to Interim Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines for Handling and Processing Specimens Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/lab-biosafety-guidelines.html