07/01/2020: Lab Alert: DOT Issues Safety Notice for Transportation of COVID-19 Diagnostic Samples
Updated January 26, 2023
Audience: Clinical Laboratory Professionals
Level: Laboratory Alert
DOT Issues Safety Notice for Transportation of COVID-19 Diagnostic Samples
The US Department of Transportation (DOT) recently issued a Safety Advisory Notice for the Transportation of COVID-19 Diagnostic Samples. This notice was published in response to inspections that revealed COVID-19 diagnostic test samples that were improperly marked or packaged for shipping.
For specific packaging and shipping guidance, see the advisory (link below) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) Dangerous Goods Documentation.
Read the Safety Advisory here: https://www.phmsa.dot.gov/sites/phmsa.dot.gov/files/2020-06/UN3373%20COVID%2019%20Safety%20Advisory.pdf.
Online resources:
- Interim Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines for Handling and Processing Specimens Associated with Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
- Frequently Asked Questions about Coronavirus for Laboratories
- Clinical Laboratory COVID-19 Response Weekly Calls
- CDC’s Laboratory Outreach Communication System (LOCS)
- COVID-19 Information for Laboratories
- CDC COVID-19 website
- Register for CDC Health Alert Network (HAN) notifications, including updates about COVID-19. Enter your email address, search for HAN, and sign up
Laboratory Outreach Communication System | Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS)
Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)