Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) technical guidance: Laboratory testing for 2019-nCoV in humans

Overview

On this page you will find information about:

  1. Laboratory testing for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in suspected human cases
  2. WHO interim guidance for laboratory biosafety related to COVID-19 virus
  3. Molecular assays to diagnose COVID-19 virus
  4. WHO refence laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19

1. WHO interim guidance for laboratory testing

The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance to laboratories and stakeholders involved in laboratory testing of COVID-19 virus.

- Read the document  (updated 2 March 2020)

 

Diagnostic testing for COVID-19 is critical to tracking the virus, understanding epidemiology, informing case management, and to suppressing transmission. This document describes the strategic use of diagnostic testing in different transmission scenarios of the COVID-19 outbreak, from no cases to community transmission, including how testing might be rationalized when lack of reagents or testing capacity necessitates prioritization of certain populations or individuals for testing.”

- Prioritized Laboratory Testing Strategy According to 4Cs Transmission Scenarios  (updated 22 March 2020)

2. WHO interim guidance for laboratory biosafety related to COVID-19 virus

The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance on laboratory biosafety related to the COVID-19 virus to laboratories and stakeholders involved in COVID-19 virus laboratory work. This also includes the packaging and shipment requirements for sending specimens to WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19.

- Read the document (uploaded 19 March 2020)

 

3. Molecular assays to diagnose COVID-19

Many in-house and commercial assays that detect the COVID-19 virus have been developed or are currently under development. Many of these molecular assays are currently being validated in partner laboratories. An overview of assays that have applied to FIND for participation in their assay assessment work can be found here.

In-house developed molecular assays

At the beginning of the outbreak, WHO supported access to COVID-19 in-house PCR protocols assays by posting them online on the WHO website. Protocols that have been shared can be accessed here. Being listed in this document does not imply any endorsement or validation by WHO. These protocol postings online are not being updated and may not reflect subsequent refinements of the assays.

 

4. WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19

Countries who have no testing capacity and national COVID-19 laboratories with limited experience on COVID-19 virus testing are encouraged to send the first five positives and the first ten negative COVID-19 samples to WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19.

Current list of WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19 (Updated 2 March 2020)

Booking form for national laboratories (Updated 11 March 2020) 

For MS Word document format of the booking form please contact roviraj@who.int and fusterc@who.int

Contact details of WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory testing for COVID-19 can be obtained from the respective regional WHO offices. 

5. Guidance for laboratories shipping specimens to WHO reference laboratories that provide confirmatory testing for COVID-19 virus

WHO has established a shipment mechanism to expedite and cover the costs of the shipment of clinical samples from patients with suspected COVID-19 from the country of collection to one of the WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory molecular testing for COVID-19. This document explains the process and documentation required for shipment of specimens. 

- Access the document (updated 31 March 2020)