01/20/2020: Lab Advisory: Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China
Audience: Clinical Laboratory Professionals
Level: Lab Advisory
Outbreak of 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan, China
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) continues to closely monitor an outbreak of a 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in Wuhan City, Hubei Province, China that began in December 2019. Information about the outbreak is available on the 2019 Novel Coronavirus, Wuhan, China web page. Clinical laboratories should maintain awareness of the outbreak and learn about what actions they should take by reviewing the update and interim guidance on the outbreak of 2019-nCoV in Wuhan, China CDC Health Alert Network (HAN). Clinical laboratories should consult with their public health department if they receive a sample from patients with travel histories that include Wuhan City. At this time, clinical diagnostic testing for 2019-nCoV can only be conducted at CDC. Testing for other respiratory pathogens should not delay specimen shipping to CDC. For biosafety reasons, it is not recommended to perform virus isolation in cell culture.
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Laboratory Outreach Communication System | Division of Laboratory Systems (DLS)
Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS)
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)