All laboratory testing for SARS-CoV-2 should be conducted in consultation with a healthcare provider. Regardless of when symptoms began, specimens should be collected as soon as the provider decides to test the patient.
Testing laboratories will provide acceptable specimen criteria and a rejection policy for unsatisfactory specimens. Always consult with the testing laboratory requirements for acceptable specimens before submitting a specimen for testing.
Although SARS-CoV-2 may be detected in several sample sources, the CDC recommends that respiratory specimens are preferred for COVID-19 testing.
COVID-19 is not the same as other coronaviruses that commonly circulate among humans and cause mild illnesses such as the common cold. A diagnosis with more common coronavirus types 229E, NL63, OC43, or HKU1 is not the same as a COVID-19 diagnosis.
9. Gathany, J. (2020). "These patients’ samples were to be tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) serologic test." CDC.gov.https://phil.cdc.gov/Details.aspx?pid=23916
