Published time: 19 March 2020
Authors: WHO Team
Keywords: COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2
Abstract
The purpose of this document is to provide interim guidance to laboratories and stakeholders involved in laboratory testing of patients who meet the definition of a suspected cases of pneumonia associated with a novel coronavirus identified in Wuhan, China. It is based in part on the interim guidance on laboratory testing for Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus.1-6 Information on human infection with the COVID-19 virus is evolving and WHO continues to monitor developments and revise recommendations as necessary. The virus has now been named SARS-CoV-2 by the International Committee of Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV)7 (2). This virus can cause a disease named coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). WHO refers to the virus as COVID-19 virus in its current documentation.
Laboratory testing for 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in suspected human cases
Leave a Comment