Specimen Requirements

1. Nasopharyngeal swab submitted in universal viral/transport media.

2. Label container with patient’s name (first and last) and date of birth. Specimen collection date and time should be included on the requisition (electronic or paper).

3. Reasons for rejection: Improperly labeled specimen, inappropriate specimen, or leaky specimen.

4. Specimens are good for 24 hours if stored at room temperature. Specimens stored at 2 - 8° Celsius are good for 7 days.