Internal medicine

Pathology

Pediatrics

Disease

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)

Infectious disease (medical specialty)

Biology

Microbiology

Outbreak

Intensive care medicine

Virology

Respiratory tract infections

Coronavirus

2019-20 coronavirus outbreak

Clinical microbiology

Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Respiratory system

Medicine

Diagnostic test

Journal of Clinical Microbiology

The COVID-19 outbreak has had a major impact on clinical microbiology laboratories in the past several months. This commentary covers current issues and challenges for the laboratory diagnosis of infections caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). In the preanalytical stage, collecting the proper respiratory tract specimen at the right time from the right anatomic site is essential for a prompt and accurate molecular diagnosis of COVID-19. Appropriate measures are required to keep laboratory staff safe while producing reliable test results.

Laboratory Diagnosis of COVID-19: Current Issues and Challenges