Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Interim guidance, 28 January 2021

Overview

Presentation: Preparing to Work with SARS-CoV-2 in supplement to WHO Laboratory biosafety guidance related to coronavirus disease (COVID-19) 

The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance on laboratory biosafety related to the SARS-CoV-2 virus to laboratories and stakeholders involved in COVID-19 laboratory work. This also includes the packaging and shipment requirements for sending specimens to WHO reference laboratories providing confirmatory and other testing for COVID-19.

The latest update (28 January 2021) includes the following addition and revision:

• biosafety aspects for working with antigen-detecting rapid diagnostic test;
• handling new variants of SARS-CoV-2 in the laboratory;
• updated assay decontamination before disposal;
• personal protective equipment (PPE) for specimen collection;
• addressing chemical hazards and their safe disposal; and
• the fourth edition of the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (LBM4) is now available and the terminology in this guidance was aligned with the LBM4.
  

For more details on biosafety, it is encouraged to refer to the WHO Laboratory Biosafety Manual (LBM4) suite, including risk assessment, PPE, decontamination and other subject-specific monographs: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240011311